It seems like summer sets in in Madrid on International Gay Pride Day (which in 2010 will be held on July 3), when the streets in Chueca are lined with flags and garlands. The festivities, staged over a whole week, reach their height on Saturday, with the parade in favour of LGTB rights (lesbians, gays, transexuals and bisexuals), which attracts an increasing number of people from all over the world.
The whole Chueca neighbourhood, located a few metres from Gran Vía, is a good example of the tolerance and respect typical of a modern, open and cosmopolitan city. It is open to a whole range of lifestyles creating a combination that is fun and spontaneous at the very least. Therefore, these festivities are not only celebrated by the homosexual community; instead, they are a favourite among people who want to live their lives freely. The proof of the fact is that instead of calling them the “Gay Pride festivities”, we Madrilenians call them “the Pride festivities.”
As well as open-air concerts, chairs and tables out on the streets, multitudinous events and the craziness typical of Chueca nights, MADO is also a week packed with cultural and protest activities programmed as part of the MUESTRA-T festival, hosted by different art galleries, cinemas, bookshops and associations that support the cause. In all, it is festivity for all tastes, for those who want to plunge into the nocturnal frenzy, and for those who prefer to peacefully enjoy the day.
The dates for Madrid’s sexiest party, Sleazy Madrid have been announced for 2010. Start Time: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 5:00pm End Time: Monday, May 3, 2010 at 11:45pm. SLEAZYMADRID is the main international spanish fetish meeting that takes place in the capital of Spain during the May day weekend.
Madrid Pride was a spectacular event last weekend with over 1 million in attendance. Its has now become the biggest gay party in Europe and is probably set to become the number one worldwide pride event by 2010! Truly amazing.
Make sure you have your apartment or hotel booked for 2010 early. This is one event that books out very early!
Infinita ’09: is the biggest gay and lesbian music & dance event held during the Madrid Gay Pride weekend @ Telefonica Arena Madrid (Metro: Alto de Extremadura). This year’s event takes place on the 4th of July..and is set to include some of the world’s top DJS. Its also the closing part of the Infinita Gay Weekend which includes:
- Thursday, July 2:
Kelly Minogue Concert in the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas in collaboration with Matinée Group. Doors open at 19.00 and with performances by J. Louis (Matinee) and Jose Gonzalez (Space of Sound).
After the concert, beginning at 00.00 hours in the Heineken, you have the party after the concert with Javier Rodríguez (Royal, Madrid), The Mae Dj (Ithaca, Seville) and Xavi Rabarte (Merci, Barcelona).
- Friday, July 3:
Bravo Sex in the room with Macumba Natxo Zamora, Dj Nano and Mike Friedman. We also have the pornstars François Sagat and Francesco d Macho.
- Saturday, July 4:
Infinita 09 in the Telefónica Arena in Madrid Offer Nissim (Gay Pride, Israel), Matthew Dekay (DK Records, Amsterdam), Claudio Di Rocco (Rome), Lydia Sanz (Matinée, Barcelona), David Berne (Space of Sound, Madrid) and Jose Gonzalez (Space of Sound, Madrid).
- Sunday, July 5
From 9.00, Space of Sound presents Pride Spit Fire with Dikki Vendetta (Fast Amsterdam), Mike Kelly (Greenkome, Cologne), Kike Gonzalez (Palma de Mallorca) and the residents of Space of Sound: David Berne, and Brad José González.
After Space of Sound in Room Cool, Gay week closing party in Superklub with preparty Circuit Festival. Artists: Phil Romano (Push / Play, Rome) and the residents and Brad Santy Lafont.
For more information check out their full listing on Gay Madrid 4 u here.
Here’s one for our Bear Friends and their admirers.. MadBear is hosting the annual Summer Retreat, June 26th to 28th.. Its the perfect early escape from the early onslaught of the Madrid Heat! For more information check out Madrid Bear’s listing on Gay Madrid 4u here.
Spanish people are not known for sitting around quietly while life passes them by. Rather, they take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and never miss an opportunity to celebrate. Since over the years Muslim, Jewish, and Christian people have built this great country together, diversity and innovation are especially celebrated. This is certainly evident in Spain’s capital, Madrid.
With stunning plazas, impressive architecture, world-renowned museums, great restaurants, and an incredibly vibrant gay scene, Madrid has its finger on the pulse of everything cool at the moment. And its gay community especially has much to celebrate.
Spain provides one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world for its LGBT community, and it is one of six countries that allows same-sex marriage and permits adoption by same-sex couples.
So, it makes sense that Gay Pride in Madrid is not just tolerated, but celebrated. Every year hundreds of thousands of gay people come to Madrid to celebrate their pride in a magnificent setting with fellow gay travelers from all over the world! The weather is typically sunny and hot, and drag queens can don their pride parade feathers without concern of them getting dampened.
Madrid’s gay area of Chueca is transformed as rainbow flags hang over every street, and performance stages are set up in Chueca’s squares. The result is one of the world’s largest outdoor parties, offering a variety of music, entertainment, food, booze, and of course, Spanish wine to appeal to almost everyone.
Madrid Pride is such a hot party that major porn producers even make movies here during the event! Check out this trailer for Kristen Bjorn!
Certainly one of the highlights of the week is the Mr. Gay Pride Spain competition in Plaza Vázquez de Mella, in front of the hip, gay-friendly, Hotel Oscar. Participants come from all over Spain to see if they have what it takes to become Mr. Gay Pride Spain. Essentially, having what it takes comes down to looking good in both underwear and bikinis.
Now this is my kind of competition, and during Madrid Gay Pride 2009, I was one of nine judges, and the only non-Spanish judge. We had our work cut out for us, and in the end, the cute, charismatic contestant from Barcelona walked away with the title. I unfortunately walked away with no phone numbers.
Hunky men are everywhere in Madrid during Pride, not only on the Mr. Gay Spain pageant stage…
In the evenings, partygoers zoom from stage and outdoor bar to the next. And of course, they pour in and out of the usual gay bar hotspots like Why Not, Boite, Escape (a great girl bar), Liquid and Studio 54.
In addition to the vibrant street parties and bars of Chueca are the incredible gay dance events located in venues all over the city. The biggest is Infinitamente Gay, which takes place at the Telefonica Stadium and hosts as many as 30,000 people! The gigantic space places the DJ and various entertainment in the middle on huge raised stages while the crowd enfolds around them. The sound system is specially designed for the space, so the sound quality of the music is incredible.
Another dance venue is Space, which some people swear by and others believe is just too crowded. Then, of course, is the last big dance party of the week, Supermartxe at La Riviera. Like the last great party of any pride or circuit event, the coy boys who were keeping their options open are no longer playing hard-to-get, and flirtatious energy pervades.
Of course, no mention of Madrid Gay Pride would be complete without describing the parade itself. The parade starts at the famous arches at Parque del Retiro and heads up the Gran Via to Chueca.
Now, the Gran Via is the main road through the center of Madrid and it only closes two times per year. The first is May 2nd, in celebration of the Dos de Mayo Uprising, where in 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, triggering the Spanish War of Independence. The second time is for the Gay Pride Parade, which should be noted is essentially a celebration of our independence from bigotry, hatred, and discrimination.
Really, to be believed it must be experienced up close and personal.Madrid’s beautiful buildings provide the perfect backdrop for the parade, and rather than barricading people away, spectators are invited to join in, alongside the floats and other participants! There are as many straight spectators as there are gay, as the Madrid Gay Pride Parade takes the city by storm, and gives everyone the opportunity to stop, reflect, and celebrate the fabric of diversity that has over the centuries made Spain what it is today.
Hotel Urban offers a fresh alternative to the more traditional hotels in the prestigious area by the museums on Paseo del Prado. It is the perfect venue for those looking for a 5 star experience in a modern environment.
The centre of this striking building boasts an atrium showcasing art from Papua-New Guinea.
The 102 rooms and suites are designed using natural materials of wood, stone and leather, and feature Oriental artworks. The resulting ambience is one of intimacy and warmth that will heighten the enjoyment of you stay.
Sleazy Madrid, Mardid’s sexiest party is being held at the end of April. SLEAZY MADRID is the main international spanish fetish meeting that takes place in the capital of Spain during the May day weekend. This event, celebrated for many years, has increased in size dramatically becoming one of the major players in gay fetish scene in Europe..
