Over the last few years, Madrid Gay Pride has grown into one of the most fun and best attended Pride events worldwide. Unlike other cities with big gay parades, Madrid’s is a party the entire city shows up to, beer in hand. Gay pride begins on the Wednesday before the grand parade in the four squares that comprise Chueca, Madrid’s gay quarter.
Each night, stages with performances from DJ’s, live bands and even flamenco turn Chueca out like the biggest party you’ve ever seen. Bars and restaurants, gay and straight alike, set up outdoor stations as Chueca parties down until Sunday. Groups of friends meld into each other until everyone is drunk, dancing, laughing and taking photos of the people they just met.
The Pride parade starts at the reasonable hour of 6pm on Saturday (which is more like 7pm in Spain-time), ensuring that people actually attend (1 million strong) and is so full that it may take a float an hour to move 3 city blocks. Much like the rest of Madrid, the parade is one big party with impossibly hot gay dudes, lesbians, straight families, party girls and even teenagers amongst the crowd and floats full of cervesas, guapos, drag queens and the very definition of uninhibited fun. The week is capped off by a night out in Chueca or at a stadium-sized, hot-boy stuffed, female-friendly circuit party.
If you can, don’t miss out on a chance to attend this event which won the 2009 & 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award for Best Annual Gay Destination Party or Event!
