Madrid Pride 2026 opens with film-themed proclamation and criticism of brands abandoning the rainbow flag: “Their commitment was marketing”

Film-themed opening in Pedro Zerolo

On a sweltering 34-degree evening, hundreds of people filled Madrid’s Plaza de Pedro Zerolo for the official start of the 2026 Pride festival (MADO). Drag icon La Plexy opened the event with a rendition of Rocío Jurado’s Como yo te amo, marking her two-decade-long tradition as master of ceremonies. Actress Cayetana Guillén Cuervo then led a film-themed segment that put eight queer film directors and performers on stage, including trans actors Afioco Gnecco, Silver Chicón and Zack Gómez-Rolls. In his closing words, filmmaker Ian de la Rosa captured the defiant tone of the evening.

We will keep thinking that love and cinema can change the world, even if they call us losers.

Corporate rainbow-washing under fire

A recurring target of the speeches was the retreat of companies from LGTBIQ+ visibility. Without naming specific brands, speakers accused firms of treating rainbow-themed support as a marketing tool, withdrawing it when it became commercially inconvenient. The phrase “their commitment was marketing” drew loud applause from the crowd. Organisers argued that Pride remains a response to hate speech and hate crimes, and that corporate backsliding only intensifies the need for sustained activism. The message was clear: symbols deployed only in times of profit are not solidarity.

HIV stigma and the “No guilt, no silence” campaign

A centrepiece of the proclamation was the Pride Positivo campaign, which this year adopted the slogan “Ni culpa, ni silencio” (No guilt, no silence). Speakers said that many people living with HIV still inhabit “a closet inside the closet”, burdened by serophobia and barriers to healthcare. The statement “HIV is not a statistic, nor a label, nor a prejudice” was followed by a call to guarantee access to prevention, testing, treatment and community support.

We are still here for all those people, and even if it were just one, who suffer in the world.

Political tensions and calls to reclaim rights

Representatives of the governing PSOE used the occasion to criticise the conservative regional government and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who did not attend. Reyes Maroto, PSOE spokesperson in the city council, said the mayor “should be representing all Madrileños” and accused him of being ashamed to be present. Mar Espinar, PSOE spokeswoman in the Madrid Assembly, claimed the regional administration of Isabel Díaz Ayuso was reversing LGTBI rights and not acting against conversion therapies. State LGTBI+ Federation president Paula Iglesias warned that aggressions against the community have tripled in two years and called for a state pact against hate speech.

Not applying the law is violence, suffered every time we are called by a name that is not ours or we have to explain ourselves at the doctor. There is no point in winning a right if the law is not enforced.

A week of celebration and protest ahead

The proclamation launches nearly a week of events running through 5 July. Activities include the traditional high-heel race along Calle Pelayo, the Madrid Summit 2026 human rights conference, and free concerts across four stages in the city centre. The main demonstration is set for Saturday 4 July, departing Atocha at 6 p.m. and ending at Plaza de Colón under the slogan “¡A las calles con orgullo! Disidencia y resistencia”. Organisers say this year’s march, expected to draw more than a million people, is more necessary than ever.