Skip to main content

Home Life Life Travel

Why you need to mark Benidorm Pride 2022 in your diaries immediately

In partnership with Region of Valencia

By Jamie Tabberer

Pictures: Provided

Benidorm is undoubtedly a cosmopolitan, fun, outgoing, colourful, and atmospheric city – and it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

It boasts numerous night venues, all very close to each other in the historic centre to enjoy all night and all year round, as well as the best beaches and coves, lively restaurants, parties, shows and extensive and varied retail options. And all facing the incomparable setting of the Mediterranean Sea!

With a special microclimate, the annual average temperature is a balmy 19 degrees and allows you to enjoy the sun and outdoor activities at your leisure. The town’s pumping gay village in the old town is also home to 30 gay-focused bars and eateries.

With daily flights from the likes of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Leeds to nearby Alicante, this town of 68,000 people, known for its welcoming community, is the perfect place for a winter getaway.

Or, if you’re making plans for Pride season, Benidorm Pride – which takes place in September 2022! Exact dates are yet to be confirmed, but the LGBTQ extravaganza returned in September 2021 after a 15-month Coronavirus-induced pause.

Benidorm has had one of the lowest infection rates in Spain, according to the Benidorm Pride website, with a rep adding: “From its humble beginning back in 2011 attended by just a few hundred regulars, who know and love Benidorm, the event has gained momentum with around 15,000 happy revellers taking part [in 2019].”

This unbeatable destination, perfect for vacations and days off, and its parent country have long been known for their inclusive attitude. In IGLA’s 2021 Rainbow Europe ranking of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries on the continent, Spain was placed at number eight, below Sweden and ahead of Denmark.

Gay sex was first legalised in Spain 1822 before being recriminalised in 1928 and finally decriminalised for good in 1932. Spain legalised both same-sex marriage and adoption for same-sex couples in 2005.

According to tradingeconomics.com, foreign tourist arrivals in Spain “soared 402.7% year-on-year to 5.13 million in October of 2021”, amid an ongoing tourism recovery following the easing of global COVID-related restrictions.

For more information, visit comunitatvalenciana.com/en/home and en.visitbenidorm.es

For the latest Spain travel advice, visit this page on the official Foreign Office website.

Check out the Attitude 101 issue, which is out now to download and to order globally. The Attitude 101 issue includes the FREE Attitude 2022 calendar, presented in association with Taimi.

Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.