MyPleasure Party Madrid

Madrid Gay Travel Guide 2025

Upcoming Events in Madrid

|  27 June – 6 July 2025
Madrid Gay Pride 2025: the parade on Saturday evening, 5 July, is by far the largest gay parade in Spain and one of the biggest parades throughout Europe, with thousands of international visitors. Called Madrid Orgullo (abbreviated 'Mado', orgullo is the Spanish word for pride).
|  10 – 12 July 2025
Mad Cool Festival 2025: big annual Pop and Rock music festival in Madrid.
Among others with Alanis Morissette, Iggy Pop and Kings Of Leon.
|  12 October 2025
Fiesta Nacional de España: the national holiday of Spain.

|  4 – 10 December 2025
Mad.Bear 2025: Madrid's annual international meeting for bears, big men and their admirers, around the two public holidays on 6 and 8 December.

Accommodation Tip

Hotel, gay-friendly. ****, from 110 €
The Madrid branch of the Axel Hotels (Barcelona, Berlin and Gran Canaria).
Well located in the middle between the historical center of Madrid, the museum area and the gay bars and clubs in Chueca and Lavapiés.
@ C. de Atocha 49
Madrid 28012
Metro: Antón Martín

About Madrid and its gay life

Madrid at the edge of the gay area

With a population of 3.2 million, the Spanish capital Madrid is the third largest city in the European Union. The rise of the city began in the 16th century under the Spanish line of the House of Habsburg, when Philip II moved the royal court to Madrid. In the 18th century Charles III contributed much to the economic upturn of the city by modernizing the public infrastructure.
During the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Madrid was heavily destroyed by air raids. After the end of Franco's dictatorship the so-called Movida Madrileña – a hedonistic cultural movement that celebrated everything shrill and modern – began to emerge in Madrid. Pedro Almodóvar became its internationally best-known representative. Even today Madrid is a center of attraction for party people from all over Europe, it is more original, more ›Spanish‹ and not as touristy as the more fancy and fashionable Barcelona, the great Catalan rival in the northeast of Spain.

Also in terms of current cultural offerings, Madrid does not need to hide. The Museo del Prado, with its exhibition of classical art up to the mid-19th century, is one of the most important art museums in the world. Here you can find masterworks by Velázquez, El Greco, Botticelli, Bosch and Goya, among others. The Museo Reina Sofía, on the other hand, shows modern art after the mid-19th century, including important works by Dalí, Miró and Picasso.

Thanks to the very progressive laws of gay marriage and anti-discrimination, approved by Spain's government and parliament in 2005, Madrid was chosen to host the EuroPride 2007. The parade in the center of Madrid – with more than a million participants and visitors – became the hottest and most colourful gay pride parade Europe had ever seen. In summer 2017, Madrid hosted the large WorldPride.

Annual highlights and queer events in Madrid are Madrid Gay Pride in July, the LGBT film festival LesGaiCineMad in November and the international bears week Mad.Bear in December.

As you can see on our Madrid Gay Maps, Overview and Chueca, the center of Madrid's gay scene is in the Chueca district. Most of the gay bars, cafes and shops and some smaller clubs are located in or close to Chueca.