Sure, Pride party season usually peaks in the middle of summer. But there are lots of reasons to pull out your harnesses and glow sticks over the next couple of months. Added bonus: many of the biggest spring parties are in warm-weather destinations, so they can double as a sun vacation. Here are our picks for where in the world to go to have serious fun this spring.
Sleazy Madrid (April 26–May 2). Spain’s biggest and nastiest gay fetish festival is also an amazing electronic music festival, the largest in southern Europe. Pull on your harness and jockstrap, and check out the beef. Strong Madrid, a fantastic time year-round, is the main venue.
Maspalomas Pride featuring Wet & Wild (May 10–11). The Spanish resort town—which famously has at its heart Yumbo Centrum, a huge mall full of gay bars, clubs, boutiques and sex venues—hosts two annual Prides, a winter one in November and this one in May. Though both celebrations have parades, this May event is famous for its daytime pool party, this year hosted at Amadores Beach Club. Free shuttle, of course, from Yumbo.
White Party Palm Springs (May 12–14). Still one of the most iconic circuit parties, in North America at least, these seven parties over a weekend in the California desert attract some of the best DJs and hottest guys. (Remember, West Hollywood is not so far away.) The Sunday night Escape party is the one that never seems to end. Though founder Jeffrey Sanker died in 2021, the legend lives on.
Eurovision Song Contest (Liverpool, May 8–13). On the face of it, an international song competition may not seem to fit the definition of “LGBTQ2S+ party.” But the gay fanbase for this celebration of over-the-top cheese is huge. Skimpy costumes and flirting can be as important to winning as a good melody. Even if you’re not one of the 11,000 attendees in Liverpool Arena for each of the semi-final and final performances, the city’s gay bars and clubs will be overflowing with watching parties all week long. Liverpool stepped in when Ukraine, the winning country last year, couldn’t fulfill its duties as host, so expect that they’ll go all out to show they deserved to be the epicentre of queer music.
Puerto Vallarta Pride (May 20–29). Canadians and Americans descend on PV to get some sun in those darkest days of winter—and they end up spending time with the same guys they see at bars back in their home cities. Pride celebrations attract a higher proportion of national visitors, with cultural programming, as well as parties. And the town is never not gay.
Cologne Fetish Pride (May 25–29). Back after a three-year absence, It’s time to put on your boots and harness for this bacchanal of leather, rubber and other fetishes, probably the biggest in Europe. The signature event, Mr. Fetish North Rhine-Westphalia 2023, takes place on a cruise along the Rhine River. But there will be a wide array of official and unofficial events for all sexual tastes over the course of the week. The strictness of dress codes can vary, but streetwear is never a good idea.
Birmingham Pride (May 27–28). Consistently a big-hearted community effort where there’s always a new friend to meet and another classic song to freak out to. Pride here is a ticketed event with two zones: the main Pride site in Smithfield, where the big stages, official events and community festival are held, and the street festival in the gay village. Buy the daily or weekend-long package that’s the best fit for you (discounts available for early birds).
Dallas Pride (June 3–4). Though Dallas Pride has, over the years, expanded its offerings to include more family-friendly and cultural events, there’s still no doubt Texans know how to party. It’s mostly centred on Fair Park, with happenings in Duncanville, Arlington, the Arts District and, of course, the gaybourhood of Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs.
Tel Aviv Pride and Forever Tel Aviv (June 4–10). This festival on the Mediterranean was attracting more than 250,000 attendees pre-pandemic, with about 10 percent of them estimated to be visitors from other countries. The parade, which traces its history back to a 1979 protest at Rabin Square, is Friday, June 9. From Wednesday through Saturday, the hottest DJs will spin at the four parties of Forever Tel Aviv circuit party—the hottest except for the iconic Offer Nissim, who will play a massive party on June 10.
Key West Pride (June 7–11). Relaxed and eclectic might be the best way to describe the LGBTQ2S+ community inhabiting this chain of islands off the southern coast of Florida—their Pride is truly a welcoming place for people of all ages and backgrounds. And yes, the famed and naughty Island House pool party that week will be packed.
Ibiza Pride (June 9–17). It might seem redundant to go to Ibiza for Pride. But the daytime and evening cultural programming can help break up some of the clubbing—there are even family events. And of course, some massive dance parties.
