The organisers of Sitges Pride have unveiled the official programme for this year’s event, which will run from 8-12 June and see over 60 performers take to the main stage during the five-day festival.
As Sitges prepares to celebrate its LGTBIQ+ Pride Week, it is expected that 40,000 visitors will attend the celebrations, with an almost 100% hotel and accommodation occupancy for the event – an especially welcome development for the town after two years of pandemic restrictions.
Sitges Pride is ranked as one of the top five gay pride events globally by media brands such as CNN and Lonely Planet, with the top 10 nationalities of visitors in 2019 being from Spain, the UK, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, the USA, Italy and Sweden.
Sitges Pride is organised – in collaboration with Sitges Tourism and the Sitges Town Council – by AFGAL, a not-for-profit organisation charged with promoting the event to the community in Spain and internationally. Relying 100% on sponsorship, the event also provides a great economic benefit for the town, with the average spend per person during Sitges Pride being 257 euros, almost 50% higher than other events according to a study prepared by GESOP (Gabinet d’Estudis Socials i Opinió Pública).
At the presentation of the programme on Thursday, Sitges Mayor Aurora Carbonell emphasised the importance to recover the Pride celebrations after two years of the pandemic, with the council ‘committed to equality and LGTBIQ+ rights’, adding ‘the need to ensure all rights are exercised throughout the year with various awareness-raising actions’.
There will be over 30 free cultural and leisure events during Sitges Pride. The main event will be the Pride Parade on Sunday 12 June with 17 floats and more than 2,000 participants. Here are details of the full programme:
Tribute Star Concerts
The ‘Pride Village’ on the seafront of Sitges Passeig Ribera will be the epicentre of the pride celebrations with some of the world’s top tribute stars playing homage to acts such as Britney Spears, The Back Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys, Queen and ABBA. On Friday evening William Janz sings Julio Iglesias. The winner of The Voice España and next American Got Talent perfomer will sing a unique arrangement of songs chosen especially for Sitges Pride.
Saturday 11 June night starts with a stunning tribute show. Backstreets Back is an epic production, recreating the greatest hits of The Backstreet Boys. After this show, there will be MOMO, the first and most outstanding Queen Tribute band in Spain and one of the most important worldwide.
Since 2000 they have given more than 1,100 concerts that stand out for their musical and stage quality. They are the only tribute band in the world that had the special collaboration of Brian May himself in their debut album Constant Contradiction. Their appearance during Sitges Pride is their first concert in Sitges.
Post Parade Celebrations
On Sunday 12 June, the post-parade party in the gay village will once again solidify Sitges reputation as a unique pride event featuring world-class DJs and four hours of the best music and dancing under the sun. The 11th edition’s celebrations will close with an ABBA tribute. Over the past 10 years, Sitges has had more than nine different Abba tributes, and the show has consistently ranked as one of the most attended events throughout the five days of performances.
This year’s act, 21st Century Abba, winners of The National Tribute Music Awards, will bring a fresh sound to the Sitges main stage.
Dragnation
Opening night shows include ‘Dragnation’, bringing together the top drag performers from London’s gay scene with Sitges homegrown stars. Award-winning performers Mary Mac and Karla Bear will perform alongside local favourites Lady Diamond, Sitges Sisters and King G.
The parties – day and night
Many local businesses will be hosting special parties and events. Sitges has something to suit all tastes, from Broadway-style musical and comedy nights to legendary drag dinner shows, cruising bars and dance clubs.
The Official Sitges Pride App will allow visitors to plan everything, showcasing the best events each night. With more than 45,000 downloads, the app is available on both Apple and Google’s App Store.
The Parade
The highlight of Sitges Pride is the Parade. The route will make its way across the Sitges Seafront on Sunday 12 June at 5pm. More than 2,000 participants and 17 floats will celebrate ‘Pride on the Paseo’.
Culture, activism and fundraising
‘Sitges Giving Pride’ will form part of Sitges Pride’s fundraising efforts for local charities. Visitors can make donations in the Pride Village throughout the pride festivities. Donations will help the LGBTIQ+ association Colors Sitges Link to create opportunities for LGBTI migrants, refugees, applicants and people in need of international protection. In collaboration with volunteers and partners, Colours Sitges Link has organised a series of cultural and social activities. Highlights include ‘The Rainbow Route’, a guided tour highlighting the gay history of Sitges.
Colors Sitges Link has also organised events celebrating Sitges artistic and cultural heritage, including ‘Queer Bodies / Diverse Minds’ at Estudi Vidal, Carrer d’en Bosc. A special Rapid HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis C test service will also be available in Sitges during the pride celebrations. Pop-up test centres will operate on Balmins Beach on Friday and Saturday morning, in the Pride Village on Friday and Saturday evening, and at Colors Sitges Link HQ from Thursday to Saturday.
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