For sports bros, FIFA World Cup is what will define 2026. Sixteen cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico will host roughly 6.5 million soccer fans at 104 matches between July 11 and 19. The tickets ain’t cheap, but we hear that the ones in Toronto are the cheapest.
Gay bros, on the other hand, might have 2026 plans that involve harnesses, jockstraps and glitter, rather than kicking a ball around. Same goes for twinks, bears, pups, leathermen and assorted gay hedonists—anyone who feels more at home on a dancefloor than a field.
Of course, we’re not judging. Some of you might get your kicks at Art Basel in Hong Kong (March 27 to 29, 2026), Basel (June 18 to 21, 2026), Paris (October 23 to 25, 2026) or Miami Beach (December 2026). As the monk and writer Thomas Merton says, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” We’ll add to Merton’s quote: … without the rough morning-after of a night of partying hard.
But some of us want our bodies and libidos to move as much as our souls.
Here are the 12 wildest gay party experiences we could find for 2026. None of them overlap on dates, so those wanting to rack up their frequent-flyer miles don’t have to make any hard choices. Why not collect the whole set? It’ll make a fabulous grid on Instagram.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney, Australia, February 16 to March 3, 2026
Why go: Sydney’s Mardi Gras remains one of the world’s most joyful and visually spectacular queer celebrations. Events are stretched over three weekends, justifying the long flight for non-Aussies. The 2026 season promises expanded beach parties, circuit parties and major international performances. The Parade, Fair Day, Bondi Beach Party and the festival’s arts program make this a must-go for those with a gay-party to-do list. For those in the northern hemisphere, it’s also a kick to trade in winter for summer.
Winter Party Festival
Miami Beach, Florida, February 26 to March 2, 2026
Why go: Winter Party is one of the world’s most legendary circuit events, known for its beachside dance stages, lavish production, Latin vibes and ultra-fit crowd. Expect world-class DJs, a massive international crowd and Miami’s unmatched mix of sun, nightlife and queer culture spread over six different parties. Oh, and it’s a fundraiser for the National LGBTQ Task Force, so stop complaining that you missed the deadline for discounted tickets.
Coachella
Palm Springs/Indio, California, April 10 to 12, 17 to 19, 2026
Why go: Though this is not a capital-G Gay event, Coachella remains one of the world’s most culturally influential festivals—and a magnet for gays who love fashion, celebrities, pop divas, art installations and, duh, live music. Headliners include Sabrina Carpenter on Friday, Justin Bieber on Saturday, and Karol G on Sunday—the programming repeats over the two weekends. Though the festival takes place in Indio, nearby Palm Springs becomes an unofficial gay hub, with pool parties, after-parties and queer meet-ups across the valley.
Songkran Festival by GCIRCUIT
Bangkok, Thailand, April 10 to 13, 2026
Why go: Considered Asia’s biggest gay circuit festival, Songkran brings thousands of men from around the region, and the world, to Bangkok for a multi-night extravaganza of themed parties, spicy costumes and top-tier DJs. This edition has six parties over four days. Beyond the festival itself, Songkran (Thai New Year) creates a citywide water-splashing celebration, making the entire week a mix of cultural tradition and queer nightlife immersion.
Gay Games XII
València, Spain, June 27 to July 4 July, 2026
Why go: Sports bros are gay bros, gay bros are sports bros. But in this case, we’re the ones doing the running, jumping, kicking and stroking. The 12th edition of the Gay Games, first held in 1982, are bound to be massive—European jocks don’t have far to go and the host is a city that knows how to throw a party. Thousands of athletic competitors and tens of thousands of spectators are expected to attend the competitions, parties and cultural programming. The 37 sports include beach volleyball, hockey, football, softball, rugby, martial arts, golf, sailing, esports and Quidditch.
WorldPride/EuroPride 2026
Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 25 to August 8, 2026
Why go: Like the Gay Games, WorldPride is not held every year. But in 2026, we’re getting both gatherings in the same summer and on the same continent. Queers who live in the segment of the Venn diagram where “likes sports” and “likes to party” overlap might, in fact, want to book their holidays from June 27 straight through to August 8 so they can attend both. With its unique canal parade and wide variety of parties and cultural events, an ordinary Amsterdam Pride is already among the world’s best. Add WorldPride’s special requirements (an opening and closing ceremony and a human rights component) and the fact that it’s also EuroPride and you’ve got a once-in-a-blue-moon happening.
Circuit Festival
Barcelona, Spain, August 1 to 9, 2026
Why go: If there’s a circuit party where the gays start working on their pecs, abs and glutes months before the first release of tickets, it’s this one. Organizer Matinée Group claims that this is the world’s biggest circuit party festival, and with their nine days of parties, who are we to argue? Though there will be lushly produced dance numbers with hot models, the best show is usually happening on the dancefloor itself. Many attendees will buy the all-party pass, but if you must choose just one, then the daytime Water Park party is the one you’ve got to attend.
Folsom Europe and Folsom Street Fair
Berlin, Germany, September 10 to 13, 2026, and San Francisco California, September 27, 2026
Why go: For those with a kinky side, there are two essential festivals, one on each side of the Atlantic. The original is Folsom Street Fair, so named after the San Francisco strip where most of the city’s leather and fetish bars are located. It’s a free, public one-day event, and boy-oh-boy attendees are very free and public with their sexual enthusiasm. The flip side is that voyeurs come out in numbers that can overwhelm the exhibitionists. The European version is gayer and more community focused. It’s also longer, with four full days of leather and fetish events.
For those who find Folsom to have become too mainstream, San Francisco also hosts Up Your Alley (usually July; 2026 dates TBD), which is smaller, yet gayer and even more out there.
Bear Week Sitges
Sitges, Spain, September 4 to 14, 2026
Why go: Though there are other stellar bear weeks (Hi, Provincetown!), this beachside festival’s international attendance makes it feel more fun and even glamorous. But these are bears, so friendly glamour without the attitude or fussiness. Sitges, just a 40-minute train ride outside of Barcelona, combines compact nightlife, seafront clubs and a huge “bear village” that makes it very, very easy to meet new people. Reliably fun and doable as a day trip out of Barcelona.
Festival MixBrasil da Cultura da Diversidade
São Paulo, Brazil, November 2026
Why go: As Latin America’s largest LGBTQ+ cultural festival, Mix Brasil is a very unique powerhouse of queer cinema, performance and arts. No, it’s not as party-hearty as other entries on this list, but São Paulo’s outrageous queer nightlife pairs beautifully with the festival’s screenings, performances and parties. For travellers who want more than oom-chick-oom-chick-oom-chick, Mix Brasil offers deep cultural immersion and a chance to mingle with sexy paulistanos in venues where the volume is not so loud.
A gay cruise
Vacaya around the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale to St. Thomas, February 14 to 21, 2026
Atlantis from Los Angeles, California, to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, April 18 to 26, 2026
Why go: Why pick one destination when you can sail to several with thousands of like-minded hot guys who don’t have to take an Uber to get to your room? Though there are several full-ship LGBTQ2S+ cruise options in 2026, we’re suggesting these two. The Vacaya cruise is on the 2,678-guest Nieuw Statendam from Holland America, while the Atlantis cruise is the first gay cruise on Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady, which can hold up to 2,700 passengers. Virgin’s ships are designed as “adults only,” so there are no children’s play spaces on board—we’ll let you speculate on whether there might be unofficial adult play spaces. With shows, parties and oodles of other activities, a cruise is a festival at sea. The staff on these full-ship gay cruises know what they’re signing up for and know when to turn a blind eye.
