Massive pride with 150,000 fill Barcelona streets defending LGBT culture as 'universal'

Barcelona's city center stood at a standstill on Saturday afternoon to allow around 150,000 people, according to Guàrdia Urbana local police, and 250,000 to organizers, to demonstrate across the Gran Via boulevard from Plaça Universitat to Passeig Lluís Companys, where the Arc de Triomf is.

Thousands took to the streets to defend LGBTQ+ culture as "universal" in a large demonstration that included around 50 car parades, hundreds of rainbow flags, and much music and celebration.

This year's motto is, 'Life without diversity would be gray. Against censorship and reactionary wave!' All is part of this year's events, which focus on LGBTQ+ culture.

"Without protest, there is no Pride," Ferran Poca, president of the Pride organizing committee, told Catalan News ahead of the weekend events. 

Which is why organizers decided to focus on LGBTQ+ culture, as "it was very important for everyone to be aware of our culture, and we thought that using famous people, it was a way of reaching more people," Poca added.

"It is a way of exemplifying that our culture is universal," he said.

Across the rally, it was easy to spot some of the posters for this year's edition featuring famous people such as Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga, Andy Warhol, and RuPaul.

"Culture has served us to protest, to be able to exist, and to become the people we want to be," the organization's president said.

Among the demonstrators, there were Clàudia and Laia, from Vilassar de Dalt, and speaking in Catalan, both said that "it is necessary" to come to Pride. Clàudia said that "it does not matter if we are in July, August, or September, as we must fight for our right to love and to be whoever we want to be, regardless of the month or the day."

"It is necessary" to protest and to chant together, she said.

Theron Moodley, from Australia, traveled just a couple of days just to enjoy Pride, as he and his colleagues heard that the "vibe is amazing in Barcelona, and it has not failed, it has been amazing," he told Catalan News during the demonstration.

A few meters away from Moodley, Loin and James, both from Wales, stood watching the around 50 car parades crossing in front of their eyes with hundreds of people watching and taking part in the pride demonstration.

James had already been to the Pride in Barcelona and other cities, and for him, this is "by far" his favorite one, as everyone is "happy and friendly, and the acts are really nice."

Both are planning to come back next year.

Amid the thousands of demonstrators were Catalan equality and feminism minister Eva Menor Cantador, Spain's equality minister Ana Redondo García, and Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni.

Collboni, the first openly gay mayor of Barcelona, said that the pride in the city defends the rights of the "LGBTQ+ community, but also everyone else's freedom of expression, human rights, and democracies fundamental rights."

During his short statement ahead of the demonstration, he also reminded media outlets that the city has bid to host the 2030 WorldPride celebration. He hopes that the event will become a site to "gather world fights in defense of freedom."

Meanwhile, Eva Menor highlighted the importance of human rights as "these rights are unnegotiable."

After the rally, several concerts were scheduled at the Arc de Triomf area with Spanish Eurovision artists Nebulosa, Chanel, and Edurne.

World Pride 2030

Barcelona is planning to launch its candidacy to host the World Pride 2030, "which is the largest worldwide event in terms of LGBTQ+ and human rights."

"I still get emotional," Poca said when explaining that there is the opportunity to rethink and to face all those "populist attitudes and people who are against us."

"Barcelona has an opportunity to speak to the world and explain

Hosting the event means that the city will host dozens of activities to champion more LGBTQ+ and human rights during the year, as it will be the "place of reference of the movement."

Previous World Pride cities include New York, Madrid, Washington, D.C., Sydney, Toronto, and London. The 2026 edition will be held in Amsterdam, and the 2028 edition in Cape Town, South Africa.