Barcelona Pride 2024 - Parade, Events and More

Planning a visit to the beautiful city of Barcelona? Time your trip right, and you could be in town just in time for Barcelona Pride, one of the biggest LGBTI events in the whole of the Mediterranean.

In this guide, we’ll run through everything you need to know about Barcelona Pride. This includes when it’s held, and a quick look at the events and celebrations planned for this year. We’ll also cover 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.

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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.

But more on that later. For now, let’s dig into a little background on Barcelona Pride.

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 Barcelona Pride 2024?

Barcelona Pride is an annual LGBTI celebration held every summer in the Catalonian capital city.

With over 250,000 people¹ attending each year, it’s the biggest pride celebration in the Mediterranean and one of the most popular in Europe. It’s supported by more than 300 volunteers,¹ who help make the event possible.

The festival program spans just over a week, and is made up of a mix of festive, social and cultural events, alongside protesting and campaigning activities. The highlight of PRIDE BCN is the huge Pride Parade, but you can also expect everything from conferences and movies to exhibitions and mass concerts.

PRIDE BCN is a family-friendly event, with activities for children too.

The history of Barcelona Pride

Known as PRIDE BCN, the event has been running since 2008.¹

Its key aim is to promote respect for diversity, especially towards the gay community. It does this through culture, entertainment, protest and visibility.

Themes for Barcelona Pride

Each year, the organisers choose a theme for the event. On the PRIDE BCN website, they say: “Every year we commit ourselves to a social cause to provide visibility, create awareness and generate debates.”

Previous themes have included ‘Against the stigma of HIV’, ‘LGBTI Families’, ‘Trans Equality’ and ‘Homophobia in Sport’. The theme for Pride 2022 was ‘For Lesbian Visibility’.¹

The theme for PRIDE BCN 2023 is yet to be announced, but it’s expected to focus on LGTBIQ+ seniors.

When and where is Barcelona Pride 2024 held?

Barcelona Pride is always held in the summer, typically in July.

The dates for PRIDE BCN 2023 are 3rd-15th July, with the Village and Main Concerts taking place on 14th and 15th July. The Pride Parade takes place on 15th July.²

Most pride events take place on Avinguda Maria Cristina, an avenue in the Sants-Montjuïc district. You’ll find most of the action next to the ‘Magic Fountain’ of Montjuïc, famous for its sound and light shows.

There are a few main areas of the Pride site in central Barcelona. There’s the Commercial Village, open all day until the early hours. This is where you’ll find local businesses and small producers, as well as a bar and restaurant area. This is a great place to find authentic and delicious local street food. Most headline events and concerts are held on the Main Stage.

Pride events also spill over into Gaixample, the gay neighbourhood in the Catalan capital which is home to bars, clubs, shops and restaurants.

The Pride Parade may take a slightly different route each year, but in 2022 it travelled from Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies down Avinguda del Paral·lel to the end at Plaza de Espana.³

Barcelona Pride - events, celebrations and activities

PRIDE BCN is always a celebration with a packed and hugely varied calendar of events. This changes every year, but there’s usually something for everyone. This includes cinema screenings, round table talks, conferences and exhibitions.

Visitors and locals can also expect a real party atmosphere, with many live music and DJ events planned. You may even see some famous names performing, such as in 2022 when the Danish-Norwegian Europop band Aqua performed their mega hit ‘Barbie Girl’ among others at the Avinguda Maria Cristina.

Another act drawing the crowds was Romania’s 2022 Eurovision entry WRS, known for his viral hit ‘Llámame’.

The climax of the festivities is the colourful Pride Parade, which usually takes place on the last day.

Spend in EUR with Wise in Spain

Can’t wait to visit Barcelona in July to take part in PRIDE BCN? 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 50 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.

There are no hidden fees or no foreign transaction charges - only great exchange rates. You can even use your Wise card to withdraw up to £200 a month from overseas ATMs, without any charge from us (although watch out - some ATM operators may charge their own fee).

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.

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And that’s pretty much it - all you need to know about Barcelona Pride, including when and where it is, events and activities, and a little background information on the history of the celebrations.

Keep an eye on the official PRIDE BCN 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 Barcelona!

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Sources used:

1. Pride Barcelona - About Us
2. Pride Barcelona - Program
3. Barcelona Yellow - Pride Barcelona 2022

Sources last checked on date: 16-May-2023