What is Mado

What is MADO Madrid Pride

MADO (Madrid Orgullo) is the big party that takes place in the neighborhood of Chueca and some of the main streets of Madrid, during the "LGTBIQ+ Pride Week", whose central event is the State Demonstration, the largest in Europe, which takes place in the month of July.

This festival has become, in its own right, the most popular in Spain. And the fact is that Pride has gone from those small demonstrations in the 80’s to the great event it is today. An event in which we all come together to celebrate equality and diversity, in a fun and playful way, without forgetting the demands of the LGTB Collective.

The LGTB Pride is a party open to everyone (children, young people, seniors, neighbors and visitors from all over the world) with a multiethnic and cultural character that reflects the diversity of today’s society. This is the origin of “Pride, an example of coexistence”. This initiative aims to promote the involvement and awareness of groups, companies, organizations and opinion leaders to promote the necessary conciliation on the impact generated by the MADO, and the need to commit to respect and coexistence.

The organizers of MADO: AEGAL (Association of Businessmen and Professionals for LGBT of the Community of Madrid), COGAM (LGTB Collective of Madrid) and FELGTBI+ (State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, Bisexuals, Intersexuals and more) design every year a wide program of activities both for the neighbors of the neighborhood of Chueca, as for the hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists who accompany us these days. As every year MADO moves forward to create a truly sustainable and ecological event with a program of very important actions.

History of Pride in Madrid

1978

First Pride Parade in Madrid

Some 7,000 people demonstrated for the first time for LGBT rights in Madrid, organized by FLHOC. The history of Pride in Spain begins.
Photo: FELGTBI+ Archive

1978

La plaza de Chueca en los 80 (foto: Nosotrxs Somos).

1980s

Chueca neighborhood comes alive

The LGBT community settles in Chueca, turning it into a symbol of freedom, diversity and coexistence. The first Pride celebrations are born in its streets.
Photo: Nosotrxs Somos

1980s

1996

The floats arrive

For the first time, floats participate in the demonstration. It joins the party to the claim, giving shape to the model that defines Madrid Pride.
Photo: Shangay

1996

2005

Equal marriage in Spain

Spain becomes the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. A historic milestone in the fight for equality.
Photo: Congress

2005

2007

Europride Madrid

Madrid hosts Europride, consolidating its reputation as the Pride capital of Europe.
Photo: Oscar San Jose

2007

2017

WorldPride Madrid

Madrid hosts Europride, consolidating its reputation as the Pride capital of Europe.
Photo: MADO

2017

2018

40 years of Pride

Four decades since the first demonstration. A tribute to those who started the struggle and to all that has been achieved since then.
Photo: MADO

2018

2025

20 years of love

We celebrate two decades of equal marriage in Spain. 20 years legally recognizing love in all its forms. An anniversary to remember how far we have come... and what still remains to be conquered.

2025

The origin of Pride in Madrid dates back to the first demonstration on June 25, 1978, called by the Homosexual Liberation Front of Castile (Flhoc). That protest, in which some 7,000 people participated, marked a before and after in the struggle for LGTB rights in Spain. Following in the wake of the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, the movement in Madrid began its journey with firmness and determination.

During the 1980s, the LGTB community consolidated its presence in the Chueca neighborhood, transforming it into a space of freedom, coexistence and diversity. The first Madrid Pride celebrations were born there and grew year after year. In 1997, the incorporation of floats to the demonstration marked a turning point: the claim joined the party, and an inclusive, playful and political model that defines Madrid Pride was consolidated.

The approval of equal marriage in 2005 was a fundamental milestone that positioned Spain as a world reference in LGTB rights. Two years later, Madrid hosted Europride 2007 and, in 2017, WorldPride, making the city the global epicenter of diversity.

In 2018, the 40th anniversary of the first demonstration in Madrid was commemorated. It was a tribute to those who started the struggle and a reaffirmation of the commitment to continue moving forward, especially for those people who still suffer discrimination today in many parts of the world.

In 2025, we celebrate “20 years of love”, commemorating the two decades since the approval of equal marriage in Spain. This historic law, a pioneer in the world, recognized the right of same-sex couples to marry on equal terms. It represented not only a legal advance, but also a symbolic and real step towards dignity, visibility and full integration of LGTBIQ+ people in society. Twenty years later, we celebrate love in all its forms and remember that the conquest of rights is also a collective conquest.

Madrid Pride is much more than a celebration: it is a tool for social transformation, a meeting point for the LGTBIQ+ community and a manifestation of the power of diversity. Thanks to the work of thousands of people and institutional commitment, MADO has established itself as an international benchmark and an engine of change towards a freer, fairer and more egalitarian society.