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Most European LGBT beach destinations are located in the sunny Spain, such as Sitges, Ibiza and Gran Canaria. In the latter case, this includes a nice subtropical, summer-like weather… even in mid Winter! Thanks to a vibrant gay community enjoying this climate, Gran Canaria hosts the biggest gay event calendar in the World, including Europe’s largest programme for bears and friends. But wait: this has nothing to do with any other “bear week” you may heard about before!
Say hello to “Bear Carnival”, held every March just after the World-famous Canarian carnival in Maspalomas, Europe’s largest beach resort. Well beyond the usual bar crawl driving most bear festivals, Bear Carnival’s programme comprises more than 40 events, including Europe’s biggest bear pool parties, excursions to discover this subtropical paradise, fine dining experiences, luxury spa evenings, cabaret shows, one-day boat trips, dating parties for singles… and also hot parties at the legendary men-only clubs in Maspalomas.
All this is always organized around a crazy carnival with a new theme each year. 2023’s one will be “the Circus”. Just imagine a party with hundreds of bearded blokes of all ages, dressed in strongmen costumes while dancing to camp classics on an open-air disco… or a floating one sailing under the spectacular cliffs of the island!
In short, Bear Carnival could easily be the most fun bear week ever held in Europe, ideal both for novices looking for a solo-friendly event, and also long-time bear travellers in need for something fresher. As you can see, the schedule includes something for every kind of bear and admirer, which also means a 100% attitude-free ambiance. According to Growlr stats, around 2.000 bears from America to Mid East or Oceania were seduced by this innovative concept in the last edition.
Bear Carnival 2023 will be held in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Spain) from March 18th to 26th. You can find all the available information at www.bearcarnival.com.
