Holiday with Pride – 10 outstanding destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers with direct flights from Manchester Airport
It’s Pride Month, and for LGBTQ+ holidaymakers, June is a great time to travel. The weather is hotting up on the Med and elsewhere, but the crowds of peak summer haven’t yet gathered, and many destinations are hosting special events and celebrations in honour of Pride Month, the perfect way to get in the party spirit.
Planning a holiday for the LGBTQ+ community can be fraught with uncertainty, as attitudes towards same-sex relationships and gender identity vary in different parts of the world. Fortunately, though, Manchester Airport’s huge route network of more than 200 destinations includes plenty of places that have become favoured getaways for LGBTQ+ holidaymakers – renowned for their warm welcome, lively nightlife scene, and even cultural highlights like queer film festivals and art exhibitions.
So if you’re planning a Pride Month getaway, here’s some travel inspiration...
Malaga
Fly with Ryanair from £20pp one-way*
Malaga is one of Manchester Airport’s most popular destinations across the board, with hundreds of thousands travelling here from Manchester every year. What makes it a big draw for the LGBTQ+ community specifically, though, is the resort town of Torremolinos, about a half hour drive south of the city.
Torremolinos was the nucleus for Spain’s gay rights movement as far back as the early 1960s and the neighbourhood around La Nogalera has some of Europe’s oldest gay bars. Torremolinos Pride has a packed schedule including a parade, concert, High Heel race and beach party, and last year attracted more than 50,000 visitors. Throw into the mix Spain’s reputation as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries on the planet in terms of public attitudes, and it’s easy to see why Torremolinos is a longstanding favourite.
Malta
Fly with Ryanair from £36pp one-way*
A balmy island nation at the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta is popular with holidaymakers of all kinds – but its reputation as a European leader in gay rights has established it as a destination of choice for the LGBTQ+ community. It has been top, or joint top, of the Spartacus Gay Travel Index for the last two years running.
Holidaymakers travelling here during Pride Month will discover a vibrant gay scene centred on the districts of Paceville and St Julian’s, where bars serve up a dazzlingly colourful array of shots and cocktails – but there’s no need to limit yourself to this area and same-sex couples will find themselves welcome across the island. Ramla Beach and Ghadira Bay are great for topping up your tan, and other highlights include the Blue Grotto, a group of sea caves accessible only via an organised boat trip.
Lisbon
Fly with TAP Air Portugal from £93pp one-way*
The annual Lisboa Pride festival takes place towards the end of Pride Month on 22nd June, with free entry to the festival zone hosting musical and artistic performances. This year is a double-celebration in the Portuguese capital, however, because it has also been chosen to host EuroPride, an annual pan-European event, which visits from 14th – 22nd June.
Outside of the festivals, visitors will enjoy the Principe Real neighbourhood, particularly the area around Rua da Palmeira, which is home to a number of gay bars and other nightlife hotspots. With summer temperatures soaring, make sure you also find the time for a cooling dip in the North Atlantic at Carcavelos Beach.
Barcelona
Fly with Ryanair from £25pp one-way*
Barcelona is one of the most free-spirited, artistic and culturally rich cities in one of the world’s most tolerant countries – so it’s no surprise that it has become a much-loved city break destination for the LGBTQ+ community. At this time of year, though, why not stretch your city break out for a full week? Barcelona benefits from reliable sunshine over the summer months and the Barceloneta beach is a great spot to sunbathe and swim, while its renowned tourist sites like the Sagrada Familia and Camp Nou mean there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
Barcelona Pride takes place between 17th – 19th July, centred on the city’s gay district, Gaixample – and this is followed by Circuït Festival, which lays claim to being the world’s largest annual LGBTQ+ music festival, in early August.
Mykonos / Santorini
Fly with easyJet from £55pp one-way*
The Greek island of Mykonos has been described as the gay capital of southern Europe. Mykonos Town is the centre of all life on the island and is filled to the brim with LGBTQ+ venues and entertainment – including bars, nightclubs, beach clubs, gay-friendly and gay-exclusive hotels, cabaret theatres and drag shows.
If you’re looking for something quieter and more laid-back, nearby Santorini boasts the same outstanding scenery and Greek charm, with its famous whitewashed houses and cobbled streets. While it doesn’t have the same thriving LGBTQ+ scene, that’s not to say it isn’t a friendly and welcoming haven for same-sex couples. It’s only three hours by ferry from Mykonos – so you could even combine the two islands into one holiday.
Reykjavik
Fly with easyJet from £64pp one-way*
It’s not the most obvious candidate for a summer getaway – but Iceland is the ‘land of the midnight sun’. The long daylight hours at this time of year gives you ample opportunity to get out there and explore its natural wonders, like the Blue Lagoon, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. You might even be lucky enough to experience t-shirt weather, with temperatures in the peak of summer known to tip 20C. And for LGBTQ+ visitors, there’s the added bonus of Iceland being joint-top of this year’s Spartacus Gay Travel Index, so you can rely on a warm and hospitable welcome.
The Skólavörðustígur, or Rainbow Street, is the heart of Reykjavik’s gay scene and the tarmac is painted in rainbow colours year-round. Thousands of Icelanders and tourists alike descend on this area for Reykjavik Pride, which this year takes place from 5th - 10th August – the perfect prelude to Manchester Pride the following weekend. Reykjavik’s, and Iceland’s, most famous gay venue is the Kíkí Queer Bar, with karaoke nights, live performances and an extensive cocktail menu.
Toulouse
Fly with Ryanair from £22pp one-way*
Known in French as the Ville Rose, or ‘Pink City’, Toulouse’s nickname historically owes more to its lilac terracotta architecture than any association with its gay scene – but that’s beginning to change.
Named by Lonely Planet in the number one spot for 2025’s best city breaks, Toulouse makes for a fantastic romantic break for any couple – with quintessential French charm and a dynamic and youthful vibe around the Place du Capitole. Toulouse is a small city and doesn’t have a gay quarter as such, but in recent years several LGBTQ+ bars and venues have opened, and the liberal, laissez-fare character of Toulouse means you’ll get a warm reception wherever you go.
Gran Canaria
Fly with Ryanair from £54pp one-way*
Sun, sea and sand are three great reasons to visit Gran Canaria – but a fourth is the Yumbo Centre, the world’s only LGBTQ+ retail and entertainment complex. Spreading over four floors, it offers more than 200 shops, bars, clubs, restaurants and entertainment venues.
The Maspalomas area is the centre of Gran Canaria’s gay scene and Maspalomas Pride is celebrated each May, but the area has plenty to offer year-round. In addition to the bars, restaurants and vibrant street décor of any gay quarter, you’ll find LGBTQ+ hotels, beaches and even the Rainbow Golf Resort.
New York City
Fly with Virgin Atlantic from £303pp one-way*
There is, of course, a huge amount to explore in the Big Apple – but there are few sites anywhere in the world that are as iconic for the LGBTQ+ community as New York City’s Stonewall Inn. A symbol of defiance in the face of persecution, it was dedicated a National Monument of the United States in 2016 by the then-President Barack Obama. It still operates as a bar, as well as a museum and visitor centre, and is on the route of the NYC Pride parade – which can trace its roots back to the very first Pride Marches held in 1970.
This year, NYC Pride takes place on June 29th alongside PrideFest, the world’s biggest Pride street party. Greenwich Village is the historic hub of the city’s gay scene – but in today’s New York, you’ll find the city’s unique and world-changing LGBTQ+ heritage celebrated everywhere you look.
Toronto
Fly with Airtransat from £444pp one-way*
Toronto’s Gay Village, also known locally as Church and Wellesley, is one of the oldest in Canada and you’ll find an array of things to see and do here, particularly if you love the arts.
The Glad Day Bookshop is the world’s oldest LGBTQ+ bookstore and has been in continual operation since 1970. It now runs a year-round programme of LGBTQ+ literary events, book signings and a weekly Drag Brunch on Sundays.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has been in business since the late 1970s and describes itself as ‘Toronto's Queer Theatre Destination’ and ‘a world leader in developing queer voices and stories for the stage’, discovering Canadian talent and encouraging original artistic expression.
Toronto Pride takes place between June 26th and 29th with a parade, LGBTQ+ Youth Conference and a RuPaul’s Drag Race themed pool party at Cabana Poolbar, hosted by a star of the series, Lexi Love.
* Prices quoted are the cheapest available one-way prices for a flight from Manchester in June 2025, and are correct at the time of publication