Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid
From July 23 to 2, Madrid has a lot to celebrate. Under the slogan "Love who you love, Madrid loves you", the city will welcome all those who are going to enjoy WorldPride 2017, the most important event for the LGTB community around the world.
A great festival that coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first manifestation of gay pride in Spain. In addition, it is 30 years since the first celebrations in the Chueca neighborhood, 20 years since the first floats in the demonstration and a decade of Europride in Madrid.
On the occasion of this important date, Madrid has turned to these festivals that mark the beginning of summer through a great program of cultural and leisure activities in different parts of the capital.
Therefore, if you plan to visit Madrid these days, then we provide you with the definitive guide so that you do not miss any of the organized events. Let the music and show begin!
WorldPride Madrid 2017
WorldPride 2017 will begin with the Proclamation on June 28 in Pedro Zerolo Square. Figures of culture and entertainment such as Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, Boris Izaguirre, Alejandro Amenábar, Topacio Fresh, Pepón Nieto and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi will deliver the opening ceremony of the festivities.
Days before the Madrid Summit will be held (Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28), a world conference on human rights that will take place on the Cantoblanco campus of the Autonomous University of Madrid.
It will deal with topics as varied as the situation of the trans community in the world, sports and inclusive strategies, religion and sexuality, migration and refugees, the work of the Internet and social networks to give visibility to minorities, rapprochement from literature to the LGTB community, representation of identities and audiovisual culture, etc. All these matters will be dealt with in an equal and transversal way, always open to dialogue.
The main speaker of the event will be the former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who will be accompanied by other politicians such as Johanna Sigurdardottir (former president of Iceland and the first lesbian who has been head of government in the world), Daniel Viotti (deputy of Parliament European), Tamara Adrián (Venezuelan deputy and lawyer) as well as activists such as Sedef Kakmak or Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera.
Likewise, in Madrid the World Pride Park will open for the first time next to the Puente del Rey in Madrid Río (from June 28 to July 2). In it, different groups and associations will carry out workshops, seminars and round tables as well as endless activities aimed at all audiences.
worldpridefestival
Image | The country
Music cannot be absent at Pride parties. For this reason, there will be multiple stages distributed throughout different areas of Madrid to enjoy an eclectic program that includes Latin sounds, rock, electronic, dance, cabaret, etc.
National and international artists such as Ana Torroja, Alicia Ramos, Ania, Azúcar Moreno, Fleur East, Ivri Lider, Kate Ryan, Le Klein, Loreen, Baccara, Barei, Camela or Conchita Wurst are some of the artists that can be enjoyed during these days on the stages of Plaza Pedro Zerolo, Plaza del Rey, Plaza de España, Puerta del Sol and Puerta de Alcalá.
Special mention should be made of the traditional Heel Race (June 29 on Pelayo Street in the Chueca neighborhood), a very fun test but also full of difficulty.
Demonstration and parade of floats
Image | Fourth power
The big day of WorldPride Madrid will be Saturday, July 1. A great manifestation of floats, music and a lot of pride will go through the streets of the capital as every year to encourage locals and tourists to join this great festival of diversity.
It is expected that more than two million people and associations from around the world will walk the main streets of the city, between Atocha and Plaza de Colón, in an act of celebration and vindication of equal rights.
Cultural events
Many institutions and cultural centers will offer activities related to the LGTB community.
For example, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum proposes a tour of its collection through the different forms of love possible under the title "Diverse Love." Similarly, the Museum of America presents, from June 23 to September 24, the Trans exhibition, a historical and artistic journey through the different expressions related to transgender.
For its part, the Prado Museum will exhibit "The Look of the Other: Scenarios for Difference", an exhibition that invites us to reflect on the historical reality of love between people of the same sex.
The Museum of Romanticism also joins WorldPride with a photography tour that will be open throughout the week. The exhibition is entitled "Karheim Weinberger in a circle of rebels."