'Maspalomas Pride by Freedom' becomes a more sustainable, safe and supportive event

 

SEE PROGRAM HERE

 

The next edition of 'Maspalomas Pride by Freedom', which will be held from May 2 to 12, will become a more sustainable, safe and supportive event. To celebrate the 23rd anniversary, a varied program has been prepared with more than 40 musical, cultural and sporting events, in addition to the largest float parade with the participation of 38 vehicles. 

                                              

The vast majority of events and shows will be free, with the main stage being the Yumbo Shopping Center plaza. The galas will be broadcast live every night on 'streaming' on the festival's YouTube and Instagram channel, until 03:00 in the morning. The Plaza del Yumbo stage will be larger and two giant screens will be installed, located in the middle of the square, to watch the galas live.  

 

The presentation of this edition's program included the interventions of: Antonio Morales Mendez, president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria; Marco Aurelio Pérez Sánchez, mayor of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council; Carlos Álamo Cabrera,  Minister of Tourism of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria; Yilenia Vega Macías, Councilor for Tourism, Celebrations and Events of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council; Eva Pascual Rodríguez, coach and speakerexpert in supporting families with trans children and adolescents and founder of Chrysallis Canarias, Association of families with trans minors (2015) and its president until March 2023, and Fernando Ilarduya, director of Maspalomas Pride by Freedom.

 

 

 

 

Marco Aurelio Pérez highlighted the wide variety of events that will have a protest part, as well as the cultural and sporting events, such as the celebration of the third edition of the Maspalomas Paddle Tournament for Diversity, which will have the participation of more than 300 athletes, coming from Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Canary Islands and Italy. The mayor also referred to the activities with the youth of the municipality on various aspects of Diversity and respect for Equality. 

 

Antonio Morales explained that for decades Maspalomas has been an internationally recognized destination in the LGBT sector and a reality that recognizes Diversity as a concept that brings together people with their different sexual orientations and gender identity and from various discriminated communities. This event, he said, represents economic development for the Island and for the municipality. The president of the Cabildo thanked the organization for its commitment to sustainability, highlighting the awareness campaigns on the use of the Dunes and drugs; for contributing to reforestation and for the solidarity campaign with the most favored that will be carried out.

 

Yilenia Vega recalled that this event is one of the most crowded and with the greatest tourist impact in the municipality. He highlighted the organization's effort to prepare a program that offers a cultural, sports, protest and fun part, the greatest ingredient of this festival, which also translates to its economic impact. “It is an event that brings more than 100.000 people who come from outside the island to enjoy each night and has an impact on the municipality's economy and benefits business owners, workers, the accommodation plant, restaurants and transportation. It is estimated that the economic benefit this year could be around 150 million euros.”

 

Carlos Álamo referred to Maspalomas Pride as an event that moves a very important group for Gran Canaria and pointed out that the vast majority "give good marks and 50% say they would return to the Island to enjoy their vacation time." 

 

Fernando Ilarduya stated that “Maspalomas Costa Canaria is a number one destination in Europe, a unique enclave worldwide, considered a paradise for the LGBT community.” Among the new features of the program, the return of the fun High Heel Race stood out, a foam party in a giant 5 by 10 meter pool, a Talent contest with a 1.500 euro prize for the winner, the D contestrag queen with eight participants, and the Solidarity Gala, in addition to the reading of the Pregón and the Manifesto, in three languages, and the premiere of the official anthem of Maspalomas Pride by Freedom, created by DJ Esteban López and Delisiah Glam. As every year, the organization will present the Freedom Awards to outstanding people and entities in the Canary Islands, for their contribution to the visibility and support in the fight for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

 

This edition, whose motto is 'Not a step back!', has prepared several activities on issues of Equality and Sexual Identity, organized by Eva Pascual Rodríguez, coach and speaker expert in supporting families with trans children and adolescents and founder of Chrysallis Canarias, Association of families with trans minors (2015) and as president until March 2023, such as the T-shirt ExhibitionSowing your square meter beautifully, “which is a personal project through which the canvases are transformed into t-shirts, with drawings by Brian Díaz, to be worn on the street. “The people who wear them become a safe space where there is no fear to ask, be or do. This project has been underway for two months and we have already sent t-shirts to Uruguay.”

 

The program has also organized a talk for young people in the Plaza del Yumbo, intended for high school students of the municipality, "to receive information and to share with people who live it", in addition to the presentation of the book 'Tierra Amarga' by Kayla Casanova ; a Snack and Storytelling session for the whole family and a Round Table, with the testimony of people who will tell their life experience. 

 

The organization hopes to exceed the number of 300.000 people who will enjoy this festival considered as 'the best pride in Europe and the world'. For this year, the organization of this international event has announced that 110.000 people will come to Gran Canaria to enjoy eleven days of leisure, music and fun and the good weather that Maspalomas offers, which means that, on some days, the occupancy hotel industry in the south of Gran Canaria will reach the figure of 97%. Some of the visitors will come from Brazil and the United States. 

 

The organization is going to hire more than 100 people to work on this event. The Pride canteens will not offer any drinks in glass containers, reusable plastic cups will be used and there will be control over the recycling of all products. The organization, in collaboration with the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, will plant 50 trees in the municipality, to offset the 'carbon footprint'.

 

In addition, this year information campaigns will be carried out, in several languages, to promote care for the environment of the Maspalomas Dunes and the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and to avoid narcotic substances. During the Pride, a Solidarity Food Collection Campaign will be carried out that will be destined for the 'Karuna' Association which, throughout the year, helps many families in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The Freedom LGBT Maspalomas Association will double the number of kilos of food collected. 

 

With this offer, the public will be able to enjoy more than 30 local, national and international artists, drags, dancers and DJs. Among the Canarian figures are the singers Cristina Ramos, Javy Martín, Dúo Fénix, Thania Gil, Jia Miles, Drag Gio, Dunia Roger, Free Vogue, Comparsa Baracoa or Rainbow Gospel Choir. And within the national music scene: Rebeca Brown, who celebrates 25 years in music, Angy Fernández and Jorge González (finalists at Benidorm Fest), Rebeca, Soraya Naoyin, Roser, Delisiah Glam, Sofia Coll, Rubén Dizá and as guests international: the British Matt Terry, Kelly Llorenna, Louisa Johnson (winner of X Factor in the UK), The Gangster Duo or the Italian Gio Box, in addition to musical tributes to Abba, Lady Gaga and Britney.

 

Security measures will be increased for access to Yumbo, whose premises will be fenced and controls will be carried out to prevent entry with glass containers and dangerous objects. The organization will also install 600 security lockers to keep personal belongings safe and with phone chargers.

 

The program and all the activities, parties and galas can be found in the free APP 'Pride By Freedom', available for mobile phones and tablets and on the official website https://maspalomaspridebyfreedom.com. The events will have their main stage at the Yumbo Shopping Center, in addition to parties in the pools of various hotel establishments entertained by DJs from Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland, Venezuela, Portugal, Colombia, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. 

 

This edition of Maspalomas Pride by Freedom is sponsored by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Department of Tourism of the City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the Tourism Area of ​​the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, European Regional Development Funds, Barceló Margaritas, Clínica Beach, Sonocom and Absolute. In addition to several sponsoring companies: Code22, Boxer Gran Canaria, NEA, Music Meets Tourism, Viajes Canaria Europa, Elorigami, Podium Scandinavia, and the collaboration of the Canarian Paddle Federation, Asociación Chrysallis Canarias, Gay Reisem Travel and Gay Less Point.