Tom Ewart Smith
TORREMOLINOS is preparing to roll out the rainbow carpet for what promises to be the biggest and boldest edition of its annual Pride event to date.
This year marks a decade since Pride first lit up the town’s streets, and organisers are going all out to mark the milestone.
Pride Torremolinos will run from May 16 to mid-June, with the main festivities concentrated between June 5 and 7.
“The community that best represents the city of Torremolinos is the diverse community,” said Margarita del Cid, the town’s mayor, during the official presentation of the programme.
“This Pride is not just a celebration – it is a declaration of intent,” del Cid stressed.
“We have achieved great strides towards freedom and respect, but we must continue building a future in colours and diversity.”
The official schedule kicks off on Friday May 16 with the premiere of the short film Equipo and a screening of Efecto Homofobia to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.
A full slate of events follows, including beach volleyball tournaments, workshops, film screenings, exhibitions, and panel discussions on LGBTQ+ rights and local history.
From June 2, health NGO Apoyo Positivo will host a marathon of testing and awareness activities.
The In Love exhibition opens the same day, alongside Family Diversity Day and a special discussion on the past ten years of Pride in Torremolinos featuring political figures past and present.
On June 4, the town will host the 5th Andalucian LGTBI Congress, where local associations will discuss the importance of freedom and visibility in the region.
The day will end with the hoisting of the rainbow flag and the official Pride proclamation, delivered this year by Supremme de Luxe, host of Spain’s Drag Race.
The three main nights – June 5, 6, and 7 – will see the streets of Torremolinos transformed into a colourful, musical, drag-filled festival space.
Hosted by journalist Ivan Gelibter and a rotating cast of performers, the concerts will feature both established stars and beloved local queens.
Thursday June 5 includes performances by Merche, Ladilla Rusa, and well-known local drag artists such as La Prohibida, Supremme de Luxe, and Paca Merino.
Friday June 6 welcomes Sonia y Selena, Salma, and a dynamic lineup of drag performers including Pink Chadora, Lara Sajen, and Queen Kartajena.
The grand finale on Saturday June 7 will be headlined by Melody, Spain’s 2025 Eurovision representative and winner of the Benidorm Fest.
She’ll be joined by Alvaro Mayo, the LGTBI Choir of Torremolinos, and drag performers Sharonne, Kelly Roller, Satin Greco, and more.
All major presentations will be translated into English by Regina Varanski to ensure the international crowd – many of whom travel from across Europe to attend – feel fully included.
At the centre of the Pride weekend is the march on June 7, beginning at 5pm from Torremolinos Town Hall and culminating at the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Cultural Centre, where a manifesto will be read by the town’s diversity associations.
Earlier that day, the much-loved Proud Pets Contest and High Heel Race will inject humour and community spirit into the schedule, keeping with Torremolinos’s reputation for balancing activism with celebration.
Nacho Martinez, president of the local LGBTQ+ business group Acogat, believes this year’s Pride will be ‘more international than ever’, with Torremolinos not only hosting its own events but also taking part in Europride Lisbon and World Pride Washington DC, with support from Spain’s tourism board.
Nobody but the LGBTQIA are interested in this type of parade. Honestly, leave this stuff in liberal Britain where that country is almost completely destroyed by liberalism. Keep Spain wholesome. I’m fleeing my country of birth and moving to Spain to get away from all the liberal nonsense. Leave this rubbish in Britain where it belongs.