A giant inflatable kiss between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin became one of the most widely discussed spectacles at Amsterdam’s WorldPride 2026 Canal Parade at the weekend.
The installation, titled The Kissing Couple, depicted enormous figures resembling the two world leaders leaning towards each other for a kiss. Both were dressed in Delft blue-and-white outfits and carried tulips, referencing the traditional Dutch ceramic figurines commonly sold in souvenir shops throughout the Netherlands.
The striking artwork travelled through Amsterdam’s canals on 1 August as hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the annual Pride celebration.
Around 80 decorated boats took part in the parade, filling the canal route with music, colour, celebration and political protest.
“We did not want to provoke, but to pause power for a moment and highlight something human,” the organisers behind the installation wrote on their website.
The image attracted particular attention because of the two leaders’ political records and their relationship on the international stage.
Trump has repeatedly spoken positively about Putin, whose government has introduced sweeping restrictions affecting LGBTQ+ people in Russia. These include measures limiting LGBTQ+ organisations, public expressions of queer identity and discussions about LGBTQ+ lives.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten also participated in the Canal Parade, becoming the first sitting Dutch prime minister to do so.
Jetten, who is openly gay, posted a video on X in which he said the celebration held “greater significance than ever” as LGBTQ+ rights and safety face increasing pressure around the world.
His comments followed an attack targeting a Pride event in Berlin on 25 July, which left one person dead and 29 others injured.
Security was subsequently strengthened at Pride events across Europe.
In Amsterdam, police patrols monitored the canals and surrounding areas while spectators gathered to watch the parade.
Despite the heightened security presence, the event remained a colourful display of queer visibility, resistance and celebration, with The Kissing Couple emerging as one of its most memorable and politically charged images.
