Today is World Parkinson’s Day 2024, and countries across the globe are marking the event to raise awareness of the disease.
To find live events happening for World Parkinson’s Day, Parkinson’s Europe has released an interactive map to discover events happening in local areas.
There’s plenty happening online, including a ‘Sit ’n Stand’ challenge, a turn your world blue event, or keeping up with the latest developments in Parkinson’s treatments with a webinar.
Why do we celebrate World Parkinson’s Day?
Parkinson’s is different for everyone, including symptoms and experiences. Diagnosis is scary, and there’s currently no cure.
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brains because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.
Around 153,000 people live with Parkinson’s in the UK. And it’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world.
Living with Parkinson’s can be challenging, but the community behind World Parkinson’s Day is here to help with the challenges lying ahead.
Events taking place to mark the occasion
US-based advocacy organisation the PD Avengers is holding a Spark the Night event on the night of 11 April, during which landmarks will be lit up all over the world.
Partnering with Abbott and AbbVie, the event will see over 300 iconic buildings, bridges and towers lit up in blue as a powerful symbol of hope, solidarity and visibility for World Parkinson’s Day.
In the US, this will include The Empire State Building and the New York Stock Exchange, while in Europe, the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, Italy, the Sophienkirche in Berlin, the Waldstadion and Deutsche Bank Park Futbol Stadium in Frankfurt, and the Petřín Tower in Prague will be lit up in blue.
UK
Go blue with Parkinson’s UK
Help Parkinson’s UK raise awareness by joining its ‘Make It Blue’ campaign—whether that’s lighting up buildings with blue lights, wearing blue for a day, dying your hair blue, or holding a blue bake sale.
Germany
Dance for Parkinson’s
German Parkinson’s association Kubia in Dusseldorf is marking World Parkinson’s Day with a conference on the benefits of dance for people with Parkinson’s at the city’s Tanzhaus NRW.
Belgium
World Parkinson’s Day 2024 conference
Action Parkinson will hold a World Parkinson’s Day conference on 19 April in Ixelles, Brussels. It will include a talk by neurologist Matthieu Rutgers on the benefits of exercise and new developments in treatment. There will also be workshops on sophrology and rhythm.
The full list of events taking place across Europe can be found on the Parkinson’s Europe website.
Events happening across the rest of the world
America
Parkinson’s Educational Day
The American Parkinson Disease Association Virginia is holding a Parkinson’s Educational Day in association with The Parkinson’s Activity and Resource Center, and the University of Virginia’s neurology department.
Australia
Parkinson’s Queensland
Take part in Parkinson’s Queensland’s Really Big Walk, turn buildings purple for World Parkinson’s Day, or join Laps for Parkinson’s.
Canada
Sit ’n Stand Challenge
Be part of Parkinson’s Association Alberta’s Sit ’n Stand Challenge. They collectively aim to perform 100,000 Sit ’n Stands across Canada in 24 hours and a million in the month of April to stand up to Parkinson’s for World Parkinson’s Day.
