maspalomas pride 2025 25th anniversary

Maspalomas Pride 2026: a colourful 25th anniversary celebration

Maspalomas erupts in colour for 25th Pride

A multi-coloured explosion took over the streets of San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) this Saturday, bringing the curtain down on the 25th edition of the Maspalomas Pride by Freedom 2026 with an energetic, cross-generational rallying cry. Thousands of people from over twenty countries, spanning all ages and decked out in costumes, outfits, banners and flags, took part in what they described as an event that goes far beyond a party — raising their voices louder than ever.

‘Our history, their legacy, our pride’

Under the slogan ‘Our history, their legacy, our pride’, this massive international celebration marked its 25th anniversary. United in the name of freedom, thousands of people joined this year’s mission to honour the older members of the LGTBIQ+ community — and, with them, the collective history built by diverse generations who continue to inspire and who once again took to the streets.

Maspalomas was awash with colour as it paid heartfelt tribute, in true Pride style, to the older members of the community who blazed the trail when it was far from easy. They were the ones who held up the first banners and raised their voices to be visible, brave and free.

38 floats and a sea of glitter

Setting off from the Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas, the main streets of the resort turned into a whirlwind of colour, sparkle, glitter, good vibes, mischief and sheer fun from early afternoon, warming up for the parade of 38 floats. With infectious energy, this big day of protest and the march in defence of LGTBIQ+ rights has only just begun — organisers expect more than 80,000 people to gather at the community’s spiritual home, the Yumbo Shopping Centre, which will throb to the beat of DJs and live singers for ten hours.

A week of record-breaking events

The programme is now reaching its grand finale after a week of parties, galas, live music, literature and several new additions, which have cemented the success of this edition with sold-out venues at its main events. The 25th birthday bash drew more than 10,000 people, who packed the Yumbo complex on Friday night for a gala that also saw the presentation of the Freedom Awards and the Diverse Literature Awards.

Meanwhile, singer Melody — Spain’s representative at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest — drew around 6,000 people to the Ocean Club in Maspalomas. Over the course of seven days, Maspalomas Pride by Freedom has offered free shows, more than 30 music events featuring over 20 DJs, national and international artists, drag acts and dancers.

Maspalomas: Europe’s LGTBIQ+ epicentre

Maspalomas has established itself internationally as a diverse and welcoming destination, known not only for its dunes and beaches but also for offering a vibrant nightlife scene that has turned the island into the epicentre of LGTBIQ+ culture in Europe. After 25 years of history, the Maspalomas Pride by Freedom has shown itself in fine form, following a record-breaking edition last year in 2025, which attracted more than 350,000 people from dozens of nationalities and generated an economic impact of €150 million.

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