Ah, those Europeans. When they lose their inhibitions on and off the dancefloor, you never know what could happen. Many visitors to the continent this spring, summer or fall might want to add one of these megaparties to their itinerary.
“Oh, gurl, please,” I hear some of you say. And yes, I feel you. Circuit-style parties have many common elements that can be off-putting: shirtless guys who take their workout regime way too seriously, huge rooms where it can be hard to find your friends and music so loud that wise party-goers wear earplugs.
But oh, the spectacle of it. Each party listed here has its own je ne sais quoi: the German parties tend to be darker and sleazier, while Benelux parties can be lighter, brighter and twinkier. From party to party, the music usually has more variety than just pots-and-pans tribal beats. Because European travel is cheap and the distances short, most parties are much more international than you’ll find in North America.
First, an orientation. The season usually stretches from April to October. Many European gay circuit parties are aligned with their respective city’s Pride celebrations—in some destinations, there may be a choice of a half dozen ticket party series during Pride’s final weekend. Though we’ve chosen some Pride-adjacent parties, we’ve also focused on ones that have developed such a strong following that they own their weekend. Some of these parties happen throughout the year and some, like WE Party and Papa Party, are touring productions that take their unique brand of bravado to several cities over the course of a year. For these, we’ve chosen one weekend that’s sure to be off-the-hook—but you might find others that better intersect with your agenda.
Leather parties and bear parties usually dance to the beat of their own drummers. For this list, we’ve included some that will be fun for even those who don’t have an intense interest in leather and bearishness.
Can you wear a harness to any of these? Unequivocally yes. Do you have to? Absolutely no.
Milan, Italy
Cox, April 20, 2024
Italy’s biggest gay megaparty has been touring the country since 2012. The music can be everything from commercial house to techno, but the men are always handsome. The Milan parties, usually held in venues with a capacity of 1,000 or more, are inclusive to all genders and orientations. For the April 18 party, the venue is the sleek three-floor District 272 (Via Padova 272, Milan).
Madrid, Spain
Sleazy Madrid, April 30 to May 5, 2024
Celebrating its 24rd anniversary, this six-party series is the perfect blend of fetish and electronic music culture. One of the biggest fetish parties in Europe, you’ll also find many bars and other clubs hosting non-official leather and fetish events. Some attendees take the kinky theme seriously, others as a fashion choice. All six official events will be held at the dance and cruising bar Strong (C. de Trujillos 7, Centro, Madrid).
Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain
Maspalomas Pride, May 2 to 12, 2024
In general, this 10-day Pride festival has a more circuity feeling than other Prides—Maspalomas is a resort town that, even in quieter times, trades in gay male hedonism. The three signature events on May 7, 8 and 9 are all outdoor events (two are pool parties, one is a cruise) with the Candyland party at the seaside Blue Marlin Skylounge (Hotel Faro Lopesan Collection, Av. Cristóbal Colón 1, Meloneras, Las Palmas) being billed as the most exclusive and inclusive. Not to be confused with their Winter Pride festival from November 4 to 10, 2024, which is often better attended as northern Europeans fly here to escape the cold.
Manchester, U.K.
Great British Bear Bash, May 2 to May 6, 2024
This five-day event may not be circuity, but England’s biggest bear event seems like an ideal opportunity to hang out with some of Europe’s friendliest bears. Plus, it’s always good to have a reason to visit Manchester, which has lots of great dining and drinking options. The charming itinerary includes pub crawls, sauna visits, afternoon tea and an art fair. Multiple venues.
Madrid, Spain
WE Party Pride Festival, July 3 to 7, 2024
Yes, back to Madrid for Pride. Even if you’ve attended WE Party in places like Brazil, London or Guadalajara, boogying with the promoter’s hometown crowd is a special treat. Cheek, glitz, beefcake, acrobats—you might want to trade in the puppy mask for some DayGlo pink leg warmers and an Addicted bathing suit. Five days of parties at various venues.
London, U.K.
Papa Party, June 15, 2024
Eliad Cohen is about more than his chest (though the multi-hyphenate actor-entrepreneur-DJ has a very nice one). Launched in 2011, his touring Papa Party hits more than 33 countries every year. His London party is the perfect opportunity to explore HERE at Outernet (Charing Cross Rd., London), an astonishingly cool new four-storey event space with a 2,000-person capacity.
Berlin, Germany
Revolver Berlin, July 27, 2024
In Europe’s gay party capital, it’s hard to earn a reputation as “the best.” But this monthly has achieved it with a diverse crowd that loves to dress in all kinds of sexy attire (sports shorts are a popular choice). The music is usually electro-adventurous. There are four XXL editions each year, with Pride being one of the signature events. Host venue Club OST (Alt-Stralau 1-2, Berlin) has a capacity of 600 people and, like many Berlin clubs, a no-photos policy.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rapido, Pride Edition, August 2 to 4, 2024
This party promoter, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year, pulls out all the stops for its Pride season blast. With a huge roster of DJs, including Abel, Alejandro Alvarez, Kitty Glitter and Spencer Reed, the music is varied enough to appeal to a range of tastes. Of their four Pride parties, FunHouse XXL is the main event, hosted at the very industrial-cool GasHouder-TransformatorHuis-WesterUnie-WesterLiefde (Klonneplein 1, Amsterdam), which has a capacity of 800 people.
Barcelona, Spain
Circuit Festival Barcelona, August 10 to 18, 2024
Readers may notice an Iberian trend to this list—the Spanish love to throw a megaparty. Barcelona-based Matinée Group, the Starbucks of the circuit, claims this nine-day, multi-party, multi-venue extravaganza is the biggest international gay festival globally—and who are we to argue? Mind-blowing sound and lights, the world’s best DJs and abs for days. Matinée Group is also behind Circuit Festival Asia Weekend, happening in Pattaya, Thailand, June 7 to 9.
Mykonos, Greece
XLSIOR Mykonos, August 22 to 28, 2024
Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, XLSIOR’s signature festival has something that other circuit festivals do not—the natural splendor found only on an island in the Aegean Sea. This place is damn pretty, and you can sober up on some of the world’s gayest beaches. The view on the dancefloor is pretty, too—while most of the parties on our list are magnets for beautifully sculpted bodies, the Greek statues at XLSIOR are particularly beefy. Nine parties in multiple venues over seven days.
Brussels, Belgium
La Demence, October 31 to November 3, 2024
This monthly dance party goes all out for its series of four annual Halloween spectaculars. Last year organizers say they hosted 10,000 guests from more than 80 nations. Though there is certainly a lot of testosterone in the air, the spectacular production values and the athletic feats of dancers and acrobats bring out a mixed crowd. But everybody dresses to get laid.
