Here's what to expect when attending Barcelona Pride in 2024, including all the best parties and where to stay while visiting.
Home to one of the most diverse, and accepting nations on the planet, Barcelona Pride in Spain is one of our favorite Pride events. It might not be the biggest or boldest, but it holds up its weight with charm, love, and plenty of festivities! Thousands of people from all around the world arrive each year for Barcelona Pride.
Most importantly of all, this was where Spanish queer history began: the first gay Pride in Spain took place on 26 June 1977 in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. Back then Pride was a protest march organized by two young activists: Armand de Fluviá and Francesc Francino. They established the “Front d’Alliberament Gai de Catalunya” (FAGC), which means “Gay Liberation Front of Catalonia” The FAGC later inspired the birth of the LGBTQ liberation movement across the whole of Spain.
Fast forward to today, and Barcelona has become not only one of the most progressive cities in the world but one of the most gay-friendly.
We've been to Barcelona many times and traveled around Spain a great deal. We've also attended many different Pride events in Spain, but Barcelona Pride will always be a personal favorite. Here is our complete guide to Barcelona Pride 2024 so you can have a fabulous time.
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About Barcelona Pride
For the most up-to-date information about Barcelona Pride 2024, check their Facebook page.
Barcelona Pride grips hold of the entire city, taking place on the last weekend in June. Events are held all across Barcelona.
They normally have tons of incredible artists performing, hailing from all around the world. Expect to see old classic pop stars and the latest Eurovision big hitters that are gripping the gay clubs all across Europe. When we went, we saw the Venga Boys giving a rendition of all their classic hits along with a killer performance of Fuego by fellow Cypriot, Eleni Foureira.
Each year, the festival has a special theme, always with a focus on LGBTQ families, which is extremely inspiring to see. As RuPaul once said: “We as gay people, get to choose our family” – meaning we decide who to surround ourselves with, and we decide to surround ourselves with nothing but love, love, love!
How many people go to Barcelona Pride?
Barcelona Pride usually attracts more than a quarter of a million people, including attendees and spectators.
It's grown a lot since first starting as a protest march and is now one of the largest Pride events in Europe!
What day is Barcelona Pride?
Barcelona Pride used to be held on the last weekend in June with related events in the weeks leading up to this. However, since 2023, it has been moved to mid-July – the Barcelona Pride 2023 was held between the 3rd and 16th of July.
The next Barcelona Pride will take place: June 28 to July 20, 2025.
The Barcelona Pride Parade Route
The route changes every year. When we were there it started later in the day (to avoid the midday heat) at around 6 pm. It began at Parque de las Tres Chimeneas and moved through the main street of Avenida Paralelo, all the way to Avinguda Maria Cristina, right by the gay village and pride stage. Once at Avinguda Maria Cristina, thousands gathered around the main stage for a huge music concert and party until the early hours of the morning. We recommend checking the Barcelona Pride social media channels for details of the latest route as these do vary year by year.
Right from the start and to the very end, the floats are blasting out party anthems and everyone is in full festival mode! We love the diverse mix of people that gather, from fellow gay tourists to curious locals. Moving through the streets, you get to appreciate exactly how wide and diverse our beautiful community is. From same-sex couples who have brought along their kids, to older gays who are embracing the newfound cultural acceptance, to the young kids who may never have to worry about fighting for their rights as much as we or our older peers did. Twinks, bears, daddies, and otters galore – all celebrating under one common ethos – love!
Who can join the Parade?
Pride Barcelona is free but you can only take part in the parade if you are with a charity or a group that has pre-registered to march or on one of the floats. Otherwise, you can watch it on the side behind the barriers.
Note: If you're staying at Axel Hotel then you may be able to sign up to join their float in the parade, which is how we got to experience being in Barcelona Pride! Check out their website closer to the dates to see if you can join.
You can always volunteer to help out during Pride as well. Volunteers usually help with crowd control and keeping everyone safe. Simply register on the PRIDE! BCN website.
Barcelona Pride Events
As well as the main Pride parade, there are plenty of fun Pride events to check out or take part in during Barcelona Pride. These are our favorite Barcelona Pride events:
High Heels Race
Whilst Pride is usually about love, acceptance, and being kind to one another, all of this gets thrown out the window once you introduce competition! The High Heels Race happens annually, and oh boy is it one very deadly, ferocious, and cut-throat battle, where lovers become foes, friends turn into fiends, and families become torn apart! A bunch of contestants strap on a pair of stilettos and race each other to a finishing point, with the winner receiving a cash prize and, of course, plenty of pink street cred!
Drag Contest
The RuPaul's Drag Race girls have nothing on these queens. Taking place on the eve of Pride in the Maria Cristina club, queens from across the city and beyond prepare numbers, adorn showstopping outfits, and perform for a panel of drag experts. Watching the contestants perform always leaves us spellbound. How can people be so talented?
Village Pride! BCN
Also known as the Pride Village, this is the main exhibition space for Barcelona Pride, held at Plaça Universitat. Local LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations set up informational stands here, while there's also a bar and main stage for performances. Many of the main Pride concerts are held here as well, but the “village” is set up throughout the whole weekend to check out.
Barcelona Pride Festival
At Avenida de la Reina María Cristina there is another concert area where performances are held usually on the Friday and Saturday nights around the main Pride Parade. Expect to see international stars, local acts, drag queens, dancers and celebrity guests. This is also where the opening and closing parties take place, so it's THE place to party and celebrate during Barcelona Pride!
Gay Parties during Barcelona Pride
Gay Pride often feels like opening a box of chocolates – so much choice, but what should you go for? Luckily Barcelona Pride offers excellent gay parties, to suit all!
If you're looking to escape some of the festivities on the street, then check out some of the big parties happening. There is usually a big “Opening” and also a “Closing” party.
Explore Barcelona's gay nightlife
Barcelona is home to so many fabulous gay bars and clubs that the local gay neighborhood is nicknamed “Gayxample”! You can join a Gaily tour with a local LGBT guide to introduce you to all the best gay places to party in Barcelona.
Bananas Gay Party
Every Friday night there's a Bananas Gay Party held at the Safari Disco Club in Barcelona which is well worth attending. The special Pride edition is even more epic than usual! Music is usually a mix of house and pop classics, plus there are often special guests, DJs and performers to see. The crowd contains a real ‘fruit salad' mix of friendly guys looking to dance the night away.
YASS! Party
On Saturday night it's back to the legendary Safari Club for the Yass! party, which is all about current pop hits, remixes and a bit of reggaeton for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. With two different DJs playing in two separate areas you will definitely be saying “yasss” to being able to dance to whatever most takes your fancy, while also making new friends and having a cheeky cocktail or two!
Matinee Pride Edition
Matinee is another amazing monthly gay party held in Barcelona, and don't be fooled by the name into thinking it's like seeing a nice afternoon show – Matinee parties are HUGE and the one that's held during Pride just adds even more epic fun to the ‘regular' event. This party takes place from midnight until well into the next morning, with the hottest dancers plus a sound and light show that will blow. your. mind.
Churros con Chocolate Weekend
Churros con Chocolate is usually held on Sundays in Barcelona but during Pride weekend they are open for three fabulous nights of disco music and good vibes. Churros is a very popular event at the best of times, so make sure you arrive early to avoid the queues. While the Churros con Chocolate weekend parties take place at the Sala Apolo on Friday and Saturday night, the Sunday night party is held at La Terrazza – an open-air dance club in Montjuïc that's very cool to experience.
Barcelona Pride Closing Party
The Closing Party is our favorite. It usually takes place at the Black Room, located in the City Hall Club. It's a ticketed event that gets very busy, so make sure you book your ticket in advance. The club spans across 2 floors: a bar with a darkroom upstairs, and large dancefloor downstairs. As the night progresses, the dancefloor fills up with more and more hot topless guys of all ages. Oh – and don't miss the very sexy expressive Go-Go dancers…they show you everything!!
Barcelona Pride in pictures
How did we manage to sneak our way aboard the float? We have the Axel Hotel to thank for that. Visitors can apply to the hotel to join their float, which gives you the best view of the entire processions. We jumped at the chance! After all, why just watch the parade when you can be in the parade?
We met the others who would be joining us in the Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies at around 5 pm – around the same time as everyone else taking part in the march. We scrambled aboard our float, before taking off at 6 pm down Avenida del Paral·lel (one of the main streets of Barcelona), stopping all traffic!
Two queens waving to their people! Standing atop of a float that is slowly chugging its way down the famous Avenida del Paral·lel, the two of us felt like we were part of a homecoming. From everywhere we looked, people were smiling and cheering for us as we danced and kissed, basking under the glorious Spanish sunshine, clad in full rainbow attire.
The parade culminated at Plaza Espanya, where the big music festival kicked off, continuing into the early hours of the next day.
Where to stay in Barcelona during Pride
Don't let your gay pride buzz wear off once you step through your hotel door – keep the momentum going! Following our many visits to Barcelona, both during and outside of Pride, we've set out some of our favourite gay and gay friendly hotels here, mostly based in and around Gaixample (the gay neighbourhood of Barcelona).
01
Axel Hotel Barcelona
Why we love it
- Gorgeous modern hotel
- Romantic rooftop bar, pool and Jacuzzi
- Close to many gay bars and clubs
- Adults-only and hetero friendly!
Regal in the street. Party in the sheets!
That's our way of saying how royally gorgeous this hotel appears from the outside! Once you step in the door, you are swept away up by its charm.
The fellow guests are all super charismatic, friendly, and easy-going. The staff are always on hand to help you out with whatever you need and also very friendly too, of course.
Decorated with a cosmopolitan theme, the Axel Hotel is chic, modern and glamorous. With soft furnishings, bright colours and modernist design, you really know you're in the Mediterranean when you set foot in here.
The rooftop bar is exquisite. We never feel guilty about staying in versus going out to the gay bars of Barcelona! The atmosphere on the Axel terrace is not only super romantic, it also offers stunning views of the city.
Staying at Axel is super handy cause it literally is the heart of the Gaixample gay neighbourhood. We always get our bearings here from where Axel is! All the best gay bars and clubs are practically on the doorstep. So we recommend starting the night at the Axel rooftop where you can easily make new friends, then head out together to the gay bars nearby. Be sure to look out for (and hopefully use!) the infamous “Do Disturb” Axel door signs!
A word of warning though: Axel is so popular that it gets booked out months in advance! So if you're looking to stay here then make sure you get on it ASAP, or hope you find a cancellation.
STAY WITH A GAY LOCAL
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02
TWO Hotel Barcelona by Axel
Why we love it
- ‘Hetero friendly' gay hotel
- Stunning rooftop bar, pool and Jacuzzi
- Hot pink sun loungers and gym!
- Lovely spa/wellness centre and sauna
So popular is the Axel Hotel that they decided to open up a second branch of it a few blocks away. TWO Hotel by Axel is the little sister to the main Axel Hotel, yet it holds its own with lots of charm and beauty.
Located next to the Boyberry cruising bar, if you're looking for an afternoon of risque adventures, then you might have found your poison! For more cruising inspiration, be sure to check out our guide to the best gay saunas in Barcelona.
This place is so gay, that locals refer to it as “hetero friendly” – since a straight couple will surely feel outnumbered should they wish to stay here. The front desk staff are really adorable, very sexy and more than willing to point you in the right direction of somewhere fun to go.
Just like the other Axel Hotel, TWO has an awesome rooftop bar, pool and Jacuzzi. Chilling here at sunset with a few Margaritas is one of the most romantic ways to start the evening. But be warned, the drinks here are not cheap! As well as the Sky Bar on the roof there's a very futuristic looking lobby bar for having a few drinks before you hit the town.
There's also a full spa/wellness centre at TWO, where you can relax in the steam room and then book yourself a variety of massages or beauty treatments.
And those notorious “Do Disturb” signs are also very much available here as well! Though on our visit we couldn't see any being used (not that we went looking!!)
03
Hotel Soho
Why we love it
- Lovely rooftop terrace and pool
- Very gay friendly
- Perfectly located in the heart of the Gaixample gay area of Barcelona
- Groovy and modern artsy decor
While it's officially rated as a 3-star hotel, the warm atmosphere, hard-working staff, and luxurious amenities make Soho feel like a 4 star.
Just like the main Axel hotel, Hotel Soho features centre stage in the Gaixample area, so you're practically within arm's reach of all the best gay clubs and bars that the city has to offer.
The bedrooms have ambient lighting, making them quite romantic. And those beds…they are lush!
An acronym for soft and hot, this hotel blends the perfect mix of luxurious design and comfort. As you move from room to room, you'll feel as if you're being tossed between fire and ice. Lounges that are decorated in reds and oranges are starkly adjacent to rooms that are blue and white. One minute you feel you're in the central plains of Africa, the next, you are surrounded by the snowcaps of Iceland.
We love how Hotel Soho embraces the artistic side of Barcelona as well, with furnishings taking inspiration from modernist art movements. Playing with all kinds of shapes, from mushroom lamps to straight-edged corridors, textured walls and hexagon tiles, the place feels like a controlled chaos!
04
TOC Hostel Barcelona
Why we love it
- Really chic and stylish hostel
- Outdoor pool and terrace for relaxing
- Comfy bunks in dorms or private suites
- Great budget option
When you're in desperate need for a city getaway but need to keep those purse strings tight, the TOC Hostel has got you covered.
We usually stay here when we just need a place to lay our heads during a quick layover. The staff are very welcoming and always up for a bit of banter. We also love that it attracts such a diverse range of guests of all ages, from all around the world.
It can get pretty loud during the evenings here. Though you may as well join in on the constant partying, which happens in and around TOC. But do bear this in mind if you're not a party animal and want something a bit more peaceful.
The bunk beds in the dorms are very comfy. Since they're built into the walls you won't be jostled by other guests climbing up or down. There are also stylish private suites available to book that look basically the same as a hotel. Plus, not every hostel can say it has a pool. So you get the privilege of affordable accommodation, with the luxury of a relaxing swim!
Plan your stay in Barcelona during Pride
We've put together some handy hints and tips to help you plan your own trip to Barcelona for Pride. Read on to find out everything the gay traveler should know before they go.
How to get there: If you will be flying into Barcelona then the closest airport is the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, about a half-hour drive from the city (depending on traffic). There are a variety of taxis, trains and buses to get from the airport to the city centre, although we usually prefer to book a private airport transfer so we don't need to stress about anything except where to go for drinks that night! You can also get to Barcelona via train from other cities in Spain or further beyond the border.
Visa requirements: Travelers from the United States, Australia and New Zealand don't need a visa for stays in Spain for up to 90 days. Other nationalities that are members of the Schengen Zone can also travel freely in Spain but if you're coming from somewhere else (or just want to be sure) make sure you check your personal visa requirements here.
Getting around: Barcelona has an extensive public transport system, so you can easily get around the city via bus, metro, tram, train or even cycling. If you purchase a Hola transport card you can even have unlimited travel for a set period of two or more days across all the city's transport networks.
Travel insurance: We always tell others to use travel insurance so that you will be protected in the case of injury, illness, theft or cancellations beyond your control. Even in relatively safe destinations like Barcelona, you never know when something unfortunate will derail your whole trip. We've been using Heymondo Travel Insurance for years and cannot recommend them highly enough. Their coverage is very comprehensive and it's easy to make a claim online if you do find yourself needing to.
Vaccinations: The CDC recommends that all travellers to Spain should be up to date with routine vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox etc. You may also need vaccinations for Hepatitis A, B and rabies, if you will be traveling further from Barcelona, so make sure to check with your doctor or health nurse before you go.
Currency: Spain (and therefore Barcelona) uses the Euro like most European countries. €1 converts to around $1.10 US or about 89 pence in British Pounds.
Tipping culture: Spain has a very good minimum wage system, so you don't need to leave a tip in Barcelona unless you feel like rewarding excellent service. If you feel that you received exceptional service then you can tip 5-10% of your bill, but it's not expected and locals don't usually tip.
Internet access: There are public WiFi hotspots throughout Barcelona, keep an eye out for the blue signs with the white W on them.
Accommodation: For more accommodation options in Barcelona, we always recommend checking out Booking.com to see what's available at the best prices. They have excellent choices, and many of the listings come with free cancellation if needed. Their online customer support is also outstanding and available 24/7.
Sightseeing and adventure: There are plenty of fun things to do and see in Barcelona, aside from the gay parties and Pride events. We love using GetYourGuide to find the best tours and activities when traveling. Their online booking system is easy to use and they also offer 24/7 online support if you need it.
When to visit: If you're visiting Barcelona for Pride then you want to time your visit for the last weekend in June! This is the day of the main parade but we also recommend spending some time before and after in the city so you can experience some of the parties and related events.
Safety Tips during Barcelona Pride
On the whole, Barcelona is a very gay friendly city and you should feel very safe during a fabulous event such as Barcelona Pride. Nowhere is perfect though, so we've put together these tips for ensuring you stay safe while enjoying everything Barcelona Pride has to offer!
- Just like anywhere in the world, be aware of your surroundings, especially in a big city like Barcelona. Traffic can be different from what you are used to and obvious tourists are always seen as the easiest pickings for thieves. Barcelona can be very packed and a crowd is the best camouflage for someone who might do something nefarious…
- Avoid excess drinking and the use of substances. It's far more likely that you will be taken advantage of, scammed, or even robbed if you are obviously intoxicated. Sure, have a few drinks and a good time, but if you're going to get wasted, it's probably better to do that in a familiar environment.
- Don't wear valuables in public. Pickpockets operate everywhere, and the flashier your belongings, the more attractive you are as a target. Not to mention that a big excited crowd means lots of targets who might not notice a sly little pickpocket. Leave your valuable and important items in your hotel safe so that even if you do find something missing, hopefully, it won't be anything too irreplaceable.
- Invest in a good money belt. It's always better not to carry too much cash or credit cards anyway, but having a good money belt that hides under your clothes is another way to ensure nothing goes missing and you can just let loose and enjoy the festivities.
Read more travel adventures like this in our book!
We've published our very own gay travel book called, ‘Out in the World'. It has all our practical safety tips, first-hand advice, and travel stories from some of our favorite destinations.
We hope it inspires you to have a fun and safe trip!
Click on the book to order:
For more inspiration:
- Our detailed Barcelona gay guide is a must! Check it out now!!
- If you love your Vitamin Sea, be sure to use our guide to the best gay beaches in Barcelona
- We've also got you covered in our guide to the best gay bars in Gaixample
- If traveling solo, check out our guide to the best gay tours to take in Barcelona
- We've also rounded up the best gay shops in Barcelona
- As well as the best gay restaurants in Barcelona
- If you're heading over to Portugal be sure to hit up our Lisbon gay travel guide
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SalULloyd
Friday 4th of September 2020
the second pix looks like it's right out of a 'sword & sandal" movie!!! Life imitatates pop culture! LOL
Stefan Arestis
Saturday 5th of September 2020
Oh my :)