Countdown to the 15th anniversary of Benidorm Pride, which this year brings more parties and a broad cultural agenda

The city of Benidorm has begun the countdown to the 15th anniversary of Benidorm Pride, one of the most established events on the annual calendar, expected to attract more than 20,000 people, mostly domestic and international LGBTQ+ tourists, to participate in the various events scheduled from September 1 to 7. The Councillors for Equality and Events, Ángela Zaragozí and Jesús Carrobles, presented this new edition today, along with Pride organiser Santos Torres, and invited citizens and tourists to enjoy what is "considered one of the best Pride events held in our country."

Santos Torres expressed his gratitude for "the support and positive synergy we always find at City Hall for this celebration" and emphasized that, to commemorate this fifteenth edition, the slogan "More pride than ever!" was chosen because "this year there will be more parties and more leisure activities, along with a broad cultural agenda to maintain the more vindictive side of Pride." He also noted that in recent years, "Benidorm has consolidated an LGBTQ+ calendar that runs throughout the year," beginning with Benidorm Fest and Euroclub and ending with Pride, thus completing the leisure offering for this segment of the public, a sector in which the city has been a benchmark for decades.

Both the organiser and the Councillor for Events highlighted the "significant boost" that this week will, once again, represent for the city. In this regard, Carrobles emphasized that this Pride Week is "very important for its vindictive aspect, but it's also an incentive and an economic boost for the city, which is on equal footing with the 'pride' events in other cities with multi-million-dollar budgets that don't achieve half the impact of Benidorm's." Therefore, he highlighted "the affection and work" of Santos Torres for "making this event ever bigger, and which enjoys the support of more local businesses, more artists, and more participants every year."

Programme of events

Benidorm Pride week will kick off on Monday, September 1st, and run through Sunday, September 7th. The first two days of activities will focus on the city's bars and clubs, both local and mainstream, which will organize various parties for attendees. On Wednesday, September 3rd, the first official party, called the Pink Party, will take place at Ku Playa starting at 7:00 PM, with tickets for 10 euros.

On Thursday, September 4th, two events are scheduled: a Pool Party, from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Marina Resort, with tickets for 25 euros; and the first edition of the Ñ. Divas Party, which will take place starting at 7:00 PM at Julio Iglesias, with free admission, and is specifically aimed at a national audience, with performances by 26 artists from Benidorm and the surrounding area.

On Friday, September 5th, in the same venue and at the same time, the now legendary 'White Party' will kick off, with tickets priced at 15 euros with a drink.

A day later, on Saturday the 6th, the main event of 'Benidorm Pride' will take place: the grand 'Parade', which will depart at 4:30 pm from Rincón de Loix to travel along Levante beach, Avenida del Mediterráneo, and Calle Pont, all the way to Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España. Twenty floats and vehicles will participate, as well as hundreds of people in costume, who will once again fill the streets with colour, music, and entertainment. Among the participants, once again this year, will be two artists from Benidorm Fest 2025, Kuve and Kingdom, who will also perform at the after-party after the 'Parade'. The parade will culminate at Julio Iglesias Auditorium, where the "Main Stage" will be held starting at 7:30 p.m., featuring 16 musical performances. Admission to the public is free, subject to capacity.

Cultural program

All of these events will be complemented by cultural activities organised by the Department of Equality, in collaboration with Benidorm Pride and other institutions, to "make our city a benchmark for LGBTQ+ leisure, but also for advocating for diversity and inclusion for this and other groups," as explained by the councillor for the department, Ángela Zaragozí.

The first of the activities, which can now be visited, is an outdoor exhibition entitled "An Other History. Valencian References of LGBTQ+ Resistance," provided by the Generalitat Valenciana's "Armari de la Memòria" (Memory Cabinet) and located in the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España. The councilor explained that the sculptures consist of three 2x2 meter cubes, depicting figures who contributed to raising awareness and vindicating the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, such as Joan Monleón, Manuela Trasobares, El Titi, Dolly van Doll, Alfredo Rey, Rampova, Pepa Wells, and Juan Gil-Albert, among others. The exhibition can be visited until September 8.

From August 25 to September 12, the City Council's Espai d'Art will host a painting exhibition by LGBTQ+ artists like Alfredo Furiati and Oleksandr Blbyshev, among others. The exhibition is titled "Visible Bodies, Art, and Desire," curated by Lorenzo Medina and María Angeles Ródenas.
These events will also include the presentation of the book "Angel My Foteu-Me" by Josep Vicent Escartí, professor of Philology at the University of Valencia, on September 2nd. A discussion will follow, which will also feature Ernest Gómez Andujar, an LGBTQ+ historian and OSCE-accredited trainer. The presentation will take place in the Library's multipurpose room at 6:30 p.m.

The presentation and subsequent discussion of the film "Who Wants to Marry an Astronaut?" by David Matamoros is scheduled for September 4th.

Finally, one day later, on Friday, September 5, in the Auditorium of the Casa del Fester, at 7:00 p.m., a conference will take place by Manuela Saborido Muñoz, better known by her stage name Manolita Chen, a Spanish artist and businesswoman known for being one of the first transgender women to be recognized as having the right to adoption in 1985 and for being a reference for the LGTBI community in Spain.