With the unanimous vote of more than 80 delegations from the five continents, Madrid was awarded yesterday in Boston the right to host in five years’ time the largest LGBT celebration, the World Pride event. This festival, which has already been held in Rome, Jerusalem and London, with the next to takeplace in Toronto in 2014, firmly establishes the Spanish capital as a truly diverse city and an example of harmonious coexistence worldwide.
“Our bid had the support of the MV&CB and all political groups represented onthe City Council” said Ignacio Fernández, CEO of Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau. “Madrid’s election means a vote of confidence for the ability of our city’s hotel and leisure infrastructure to hold such an important worldwide event.”
Madrid’s bid was presented at the 30th Interpride (International Association of Pride Organizers) Annual General Meeting held in Boston, USA, by Carlos Alonso, Mónica Duce, Emilio Aguilera and Carlos Sánchez who represented AEGAL (Business Leaders and Professionals Association of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community of Madrid), along with Miguel Sanz, representative of Madrid City Council’s Visitors & Convention Bureau. It also had the backing of COGAM (LGBT Collective of Madrid) and FELGTB
(Spanish LGBT National Federation).
Berlin and Sydney amongst the rivals World Pride Madrid in 2017 will be a huge celebration. The cities of Berlin and
Sydney were also in contention for the honour, but they failed to pass the initial stages of the selection process. Madrid’s project has fully satisfied all the Interpride requirements and has passed every one of the phases in the lengthy process. Madrid not only earned the support of all delegates involved, but also their express congratulations.
• Madrid was chosen unanimously by the over 80 delegations from the five continents that form this international organisation
• World Pride has previously been held in Rome, Jerusalem and London. Toronto will be the next city to host World Pride in 2014,
and will pass the baton on to Madrid
The municipal government of Madrid and all the local groups with politicalrepresentation on the City Council, as well as a number of other public and private bodies, gave their written support to the Spanish capital’s bid. Madrid successfully hosted the Euro Pride festival in 2007, and ten years on will organise the World Pride event.
This 2017 celebration marks an important milestone in the history of the Spanish LGBT movement. As soon as he heard the news, Juan Carlos Alonso declared: “Madrid Pride has helped to change our city, and even our country, making it a place of freedom, celebration and respect for equal rights; this is the spirit of World Pride 2017; this is the spirit of Madrid. We know that the eyes of the international LGBT community will be on our city and we will not let them down because we are more than prepared to host the biggest
World Pride event in history.”
