Madrid Pride 2024 - Parades, Dates, Events

Tommy Buckley

16.06.23

4 minute read

Planning a trip to the sun-soaked Spanish city of Madrid? Time it right, and you could be in town just in time for Madrid Pride, known as Orgullo Gay de Madrid or MADO.

Here, we’ll run through everything you need to know about Madrid Pride. This includes dates and venues, and a quick look at the events and celebrations planned for this year. Plus, a little of the history of this fantastic annual event.

And to help you plan your trip, we’ll show you how to spend in Spain like a local and save money with the Wise international debit card.

This clever card automatically converts your pounds to euros at the mid-market exchange rate whenever you spend, for just a small fee. Or if you already have EUR in your Wise account, there’s no fee to pay.

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But more on that later. First, let’s focus on MADO.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What is Madrid Pride?

Madrid Pride (MADO) is an annual LGBTIQ celebration held every summer in the Spanish capital. It’s a series of street celebrations, taking place during the city’s Pride week. It’s typically held around or just after International Day of Pride on 28th June.

MADO has become one of the biggest urban events in Europe. It’s open to everyone, and has at its heart the aim of celebrating diversity and advancing the rights of the LGBTIQ community.

Spanning several days, MADO encompasses a huge range of different events. This includes open air concerts, street parties, art exhibitions, sporting events, performing stages and much more. The highlight is the Pride parade, one of the largest in the world.

Madrid is known as an LGBTIQ-friendly city, with around 500 businesses¹ catering to the community. Many of these are encouraged to join in Madrid Pride, with more joining every year. The event also brings together associations and collectives from the whole of Spain.

This has meant that over 2 million people¹ are involved in MADO in some capacity every year.

The history of Madrid Pride²

Madrid Pride started life back in the 1970s and 1980s as a series of small Pride demonstrations. It grew year upon year, and is now considered one of the largest LGBT events in Europe.

In 2007, Madrid hosted Europride, with the city named the European capital of Pride.

When is Madrid Pride 2024 held?

Madrid Pride is always held in the summer, typically in June or early July.

The dates for MADO 2023 are Friday 23rd June to Sunday 2nd July 2023.³

After a series of opening events, the Pride parties will kick off on Wednesday 28th June, with the Pride Parade held on Sunday 1st July.³

And in 2017, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Spain’s very first Pride parade back in 1977, Madrid hosted World Pride. This was the fifth edition of the largest LGBT event in the world.

Madrid Pride 2024 locations

Most Madrid Pride events take place in the Chueca neighbourhood in downtown Madrid. Named after its main square, Plaza de Chueca, this is known as the city’s gay neighbourhood.

You may also see MADO events popping up on Plaza de Pedro Zerolo, Plaza del Rey, Plaza de Callao and Plaza de España.

On the last day of the celebrations, the Pride Parade will travel along Paseo del Prado. This is one of the main streets in Madrid, in the heart of the city. The Parade will start from Atocha Station and end in Plaza de Colón.⁴

Madrid Pride Events 2024

MADO 2024 festivities are diverse and multicultural, ranging from street parties to political activism.

The event is typically launched with an official opening ceremony, held at the Plaza de Pedro Zerolo. It all starts with the Pride Proclamation, a speech delivered by a key figure in the LGBTIQ community.

Throughout the week, you can expect concerts on open-air stages across the city centre. In 2022, the line-up of acts included Eurovision royalty Conchita Wurst, Dana International and Chanel (who represented Spain in 2022).

Other highlights include:⁵

The Madrid Summit (the annual International Conference on Human Rights, where politicians and activists discuss LGBTIQA+ rights)
Race for Diversity Pride
Mr Gay Pride España contest
The High Heels Race.

Also included for 2023 is Feathers and Paws, a pet-friendly event held at Plaza de Pedro Zerolo.⁵

And of course, the star of the show at MADO is the Pride Parade. Held on the last day of the celebrations, it’s a riot of colour, costumes, floats, activism and fun. There’s a real party atmosphere, with one of the main streets in Madrid lined with spectators.

Spend in EUR with Wise in Spain

Visiting Madrid this summer for MADO? Before you book your flights to Spain, you’ll need to figure out the best (and cheapest) way to spend while you’re there.

The Wise card offers the perfect solution. It works in 174 countries, including Spain and most of Europe. You can spend in over 40 currencies, without having to preload a currency balance or change any money.

It’s a contactless card, so you can simply tap to spend and the card will automatically convert your money to EUR. It does this at the mid-market exchange rate, which is one of the fairest you can get. There’s just a small conversion fee, or it’s free if you already have EUR in your Wise multi-currency account.

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Open a Wise account and you can get your own Wise card for international travel for a one-time cost of just £7.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

And that’s it - everything you need to know about Madrid Pride! We’ve looked at dates, events and locations, plus a little background information on the history of MADO in the Spanish capital.

Keep an eye on the official MADO website for details of upcoming events.

But otherwise, get your Wise card ordered for low-cost spending in Spain, and get ready for a fantastic time in Madrid!

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 23-May-2023

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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