PortAventura World has managed to position itself as an inclusive destination where fun does not exclude vindication. With Pride Night as its emblem, the park has become a benchmark for diverse and safe leisure for the LGTBIQ+ community. We chatted with Noemie Serrano, Head of Product, to find out what’s behind this event and how PortAventura addresses diversity inside and outside of its shows.
Interview with Noemie Serrano – Product Manager at PortAventura World
Pride Night is already a key event on the LGTBIQ+ calendar in Spain. How was this initiative born in PortAventura and what has been the evolution from that first edition to the current one?
Pride Night was born to be a meeting point for celebration, visibility and vindication of the LGTBIQ+ collective within the unique environment that PortAventura World offers. What began as a brave bet has evolved to become an unmissable event on the park’s calendar. Each edition is more ambitious, with an increasingly rich program designed to excite, make visible and create a safe and festive space for all people.
This year, the program includes shows, floats and themed spaces. What new features would you highlight in the 2025 edition of Pride Night compared to previous years?
For this edition, we have opened the doors of the park with an exclusive and unforgettable program that turns the park into an authentic Pride celebration. The experience has been completed with new proposals that celebrate diversity from the sensory to the symbolic: multicolored cocktails, Pride Rainbow cupcakes and a Pride 2025 capsule collection with t-shirts, caps and reusable bottles that expand the World of Diversity line.
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The fun is not at odds with the message. What importance do you give in PortAventura to the protest and awareness part in an event like this?
At PortAventura World we believe that entertainment is a powerful tool to transform consciousness. Therefore, on each Pride Night we seek to make visible, educate and demand. Behind the show there is a firm positioning for inclusion, and it is a message that we want to accompany each visitor in their experience.
Commitment starts from within. What internal measures exist at PortAventura World to ensure a safe and respectful work environment for LGTBIQ+ people?
Among the internal measures that have been promoted to ensure a safe work space, a talk-workshop aimed at all workers stands out. The session, led by content creator and activist Enrique Bernabéu, addressed key topics about the visibility of diverse realities within the LGTBIQ+ collective. These initiatives, which combine awareness and celebration, reflect PortAventura World’s commitment to inclusion, reaffirming its vocation as a B Corp resort that is committed to leisure with values, more open, conscious and for everyone.
Discrimination can also come from outside. In the event of LGBTIphobic incidents or behavior by visitors, what protocols are in place to protect staff and ensure a safe experience?
The safety and well-being of both our employees and our visitors is a priority. Our staff is trained to intervene, inform and accompany in case of any situation of discrimination. The park should be a safe place for all people.
Beyond Pride, the commitment must be constant. What actions does PortAventura World carry out during the rest of the year to support diversity and inclusion?
Yes, we currently have initiatives that encourage the creation of affinity networks and safe spaces within the organization. These networks allow us to share experiences, support diverse talent and promote professional development on equal terms.
In a family leisure environment, sometimes there is a tendency to “neutralize” certain messages. How do you reconcile the family focus of the park with a clear commitment to LGTBIQ+ visibility?
Precisely because we are a family park, we believe that diversity should be present naturally. Showing different realities, families and expressions of identity is also educating in respect. Visibility does not exclude anyone, on the contrary: it adds, enriches and generates a friendlier environment for everyone.
Product teams are key to imagining new experiences. What role has your team played in the creation of Pride Night and what does it mean for you, on a personal and professional level, to lead an event with this symbolic charge?
As a product manager, leading Pride Night is a huge responsibility and a source of personal pride. My team has worked hand in hand to design an experience that is authentic, exciting and transformative.
And finally… looking to the future. Can you imagine an even more diverse and inclusive PortAventura in the coming years? What dreams do you have in mind to continue celebrating Pride in the park?
We want PortAventura World to continue to be a benchmark for diversity in the leisure sector. We work to develop new experiences, more safe spaces, more representation and more positive impact. Inclusion is a continuous path that we want to follow with a firm step and a broad outlook.
Commitment that doesn’t stop
Pride Night is just the tip of the iceberg in a much broader strategy that demonstrates that entertainment can be inclusive, empathetic and transformative. In every attraction, on every walkway and in every corner of the park, PortAventura World continues to build a space where all people can feel free, welcome and proud.
