Benidorm Pride Festival returns to full splendour after pandemic restrictions on Spain’s Costa Blanca

BENIDORM’S Pride Festival starts on Monday with a return to big-style celebrations that were cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

An extensive programme of events has been organised for the city’s 12^th Pride Festival between September 5 and 11.

Organisers and Benidorm council are expecting 20,000 visitors over the six days including people from the UK, France, and Italy.

Six themed parties will be held along with numerous events in over 40 gay-friendly venues along with the Grand Parade.

Over 20 floats will be in the parade on Saturday, September 10, including vintage cars and motorcycles.

The procession starts at 5.00 pm and will go down the Paseo de Levante and a section of Avenida Mediterraneo before reaching the Julio Iglesias auditorium in the Parque de l’Aiguera.

Benidorm’s Events councillor, Jesus Carrobles, said: “Benidorm Pride is one of the benchmark events in our city, which attracts visitors and provides a much-needed splash of colour after what we have gone through in recent years.”

Pride was cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020 and only a symbolic party could be staged last year.

One of the Pride organisers, Santos Torres, said: “Benidorm has always been a benchmark for the LGBTI community helped by events such as the Benidorm Fest and the Benidorm Pride Festival over recent years.”

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