About Queer Market

Where it started
Queer Market started as a small Christmas market in Amsterdam at NDSM. One edition, a curated group of makers, and around 750 visitors. What stood out wasn’t the scale, but the commitment: 

people came from everywhere in the Netherlands, makers sold far beyond expectations, and the atmosphere felt noticeably safe, open, and unforced.

That first market made something clear. There are very few spaces where queer makers are not only visible, but genuinely supported as entrepreneurs. Spaces where no one has to explain themselves, dilute their work, or justify their existence in order to sell.

After this, we host 3 to 4 editions of the Queer Market in Amsterdam every year. A spring, pride & christmas editon. 

From market to permanent space
From there, Queer Market grew. First through new market editions, and later into a permanent store in the centre of Amsterdam. The store operates as an extension of the market: a physical place where queer makers are given ongoing space, where products are presented with context, and where community and commerce reinforce each other. 

Who we build this for

Queer Market exists for queer entrepreneurs in the broadest sense. We are intentional about making space for those who face even greater barriers to visibility and income, including BIPOC, trans and non binary makers, disabled entrepreneurs, and others who are structurally underrepresented within retail and cultural spaces.

Access is not evenly distributed, even within queer communities. That is why Queer Market actively works to lower thresholds, create safer working environments, and ensure that participation is not reserved for those with existing privilege, capital, or networks.

Our goal is not token representation, but real opportunity. Space to sell, to grow, and to build sustainable businesses on their own terms.

Why global matters
Across the world, queer entrepreneurs face similar barriers. Limited access to sales channels, a lack of safe commercial spaces, and little infrastructure to grow sustainably. Queer Market aims to offer an alternative by building local markets that are rooted in their own communities, while being connected through an international network.

More than visibility
Queer Markets worldwide do more than create visibility. The market generate direct income for makers, strengthen local queer ecosystems, and demonstrate that queer culture carries economic value without needing to be diluted, exploited, or turned into a gimmick.

What Queer Market is building
Queer Market is not a one-off event and not a trend. It is a platform focused on creating long-term space for queer makers, both offline and online. Through markets, stores, and collaborations designed around continuity, fairness, and independence.

What began as a single market with 750 visitors is now the starting point of a growing global network. Click here to join us!