Barcelona Pride Guide with British Airways: An extravaganza of inclusivity
In partnership with British Airways
By Dale Fox
Barcelona Pride is one of Europe’s biggest and oldest, with its roots tracing back to 1977. Since then, it’s grown into a spectacular annual festival that showcases the city’s unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community. While Barcelona is a queer haven all year round, with its myriad bars, clubs, galleries, and restaurants, it really comes into its own during Pride. Think street parties, balmy al-fresco brunches, and sleeping it off on the beach. Oh, and Loreen – the queen of Eurovision – will perform during the massive official Pride party this year. Barcelona Pride is a hugely inspiring event that sees the city come together in an inevitably sun-soaked celebration of inclusivity.
Along with our friends at British Airways, we’ve put together a Barcelona Pride guide featuring our picks from this year’s celebration. Ready to hit the sunny streets (and sands) of Spain? Check out British Airways to explore flights and hotel packages now.
Barcelona Pride parade
What is Pride without the parade? As you’d expect from such a vibrant global city, Barcelona’s Pride parade is always a colourful, musical, and diverse affair and this year it will take place on 15 July. Winding through the city, this is where you can rub shoulders with more than 250,000 friendly faces from every part of the community as the streets are filled with celebration. And should your energy levels dip, you’ll find a healthy variety of cafés and street food vendors along the route to keep you going.
Barcelona Pride party
The city’s Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina is where the official Barcelona Pride party will be held, with the vast open-air space in central Barcelona playing host to a huge lineup of artists on its main stage. Loreen is one of them – did we mention that? Alongside her will be Mexican superstar Paulina Rubio, as well as a range of the finest Spanish talent, including rapper Ptazeta. This is the perfect chance to soak up the culture of this exceptional city, with some of Spain’s top artists providing the soundtrack to the country’s most fabulous party.
Blond Ambition
With its name perhaps a bit of a giveaway, Blond Ambition is an all-night boutique bar dedicated to our one true queen, Madonna. The venue is decked out with M-themed paraphernalia, including replicas of her most iconic stage costumes. If you’re not a Madonna diehard, other queens are available – Blond Ambition’s playlist also features other successors to the throne, including Britney, Ariana, and Lady Gaga. Reductive!
Barceloneta Beach
What’s a trip to Spain without a beach, right? Barceloneta Beach is not only one of the most inclusive queer beaches we’ve been to, but it’s also one of the most convenient, located just steps away from the bustling city streets. Not tucked away in obscurity like most similar spots, Barceloneta has a great mix of representation from across the community. All body types are welcome here – and judgement isn’t. It’s the perfect place to take a nap under an umbrella, before heading for a quick snack or drink at one of the nearby beach bars.
Ciutadella Park
While Pride is about joy and celebration, it’s also a time for reflection. The sprawling 19th Century Ciutadella Park is home to the “monument of repressed queer people” placed in memory of Sonia Rescalvo Zafra, a trans woman who was murdered there in 1991. The park is the ideal place for a golden-hour stroll as you take in the stunning surroundings, which include an expansive lake and an 1800s fountain believed to have been worked on by a fledgling Antoni Gaudí. If you’d like to make a day of it, the park also contains the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, and even a zoo.
Candy Darling
If a run-of-the-mill bar experience isn’t what you travelled all the way to Spain for, head straight to Candy Darling. Named after the trans Andy Warhol superstar and muse, this modern-day Kit Kat Club is part restaurant, part bar, part burlesque cabaret, and part art gallery, with works by queer artists adorning the walls. One of Barcelona’s most popular LGBTQ+ spaces, it attracts a diverse and creative clientele. It even has its own art director, which tells you a lot about the vibe there.
La Raposa
A vegan tapas bar and reading room focusing on feminist literature (though mainly in Spanish/Catalan), La Raposa is the place to retreat to if you need to relax your body – and mind – after a night of intense partying (or a morning of shopping). The food served here is simple yet inexpensive, and the vibe is very chilled. La Raposa is known for being a popular meeting place for feminists and holds regular guest lectures, so you’re guaranteed some interesting networking opportunities.
Odd Kiosk
Recommending a magazine kiosk in a travel guide might seem a little… odd, but Odd Kiosk is certainly worth a visit for its range of LGBTQ+ indie magazines, books and artwork. Describing itself as a “queer space that tries to get away from what is considered normal or conventional,” Odd Kiosk is like the unofficial LGBTQ+ gift shop of Barcelona, where you can pick up stunning postcards, literature, and other interesting trinkets. It also serves coffee, giving you fuel while you browse.