The organisers of Maspalomas Pride in Gran Canaria this year expect to receive more than 150,000 people – 50,000 more than reported just two months ago – according to a report in The Canary News.

This year’s events have been organised under the slogan ‘Intercontinental’, to reflect how the south of the island will again become a major meeting point for people of many different nationalities throughout the main celebration next week (19-25 May). The organisers have also removed the word ‘gay’ from the event name to align more closely with other Pride celebrations across Europe.

The event, which takes place in the island’s gay centre, Playa del Inglés, benefits from two parts: the fun part both during the day and night, and the cultural events, including film screenings and an educational project with local schools – one of the highlights of which is a writing competition under the title ‘A World of Colours’.

A number of high-profile performers will be on stage, including the winner of Eurovision, Conchita Wurst, who is being flown over by Sparkles Showbar, one of the primary sponsors of the event.

The Councillor in charge of Festivals and Events for the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana said that his task was not to make policy but to recover the spirit of Pride. ‘We are interested in strengthening one of the most important promotional events held throughout the archipelago,’ he commented, ‘because it is held in May, which used to be one of the most difficult seasons, from a tourism perspective, due to the lower than average number of visitors.’

‘Like many Pride organisations worldwide, the organisers for Maspalomas Pride have struggled in the past, but this year has been an extraordinary year for their association,’ Edward Timon, Editor-in-Chief of The Canary News told So So Gay. ‘They have been setting up funding for a young people’s advice drop-in centre, setting up a website, launching their own official magazine, PROUD, and now have a highly experienced treasurer (Eddie Gorman), who used to be responsible for operational planning for the RUC in Northern Ireland.’