Chueca

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Chueca subway station

Chueca is a central neighbourhood in Madrid named after Federico Chueca (1846–1908), composer of zarzuelas. It lies just to the north of the old city and is centred on the Plaza de Chueca, with its metro station "Chueca." Chueca is very lively, with many street cafes and boutique shops; Lonely Planet describes it as "extravagantly gay, lively young, and always inclusive regardless of your sexual orientation."

LGBT

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Europride march in 2007

The neighbourhood has become a popular area for Madrid's gay community, with a lot of LGBT or LGBT-friendly shops. Since Madrid's serving as host of the 2007 Europride, the Gay Pride march has evolved to the biggest gay festival in the world. For five days at the beginning of the summer, Chueca is an appealing place containing five stages located at various plazas, as well as hundreds of outdoor bars, allowing hundreds of thousands to revel in the open air. In 2012 more than 300,000 foreigners travelled to Madrid for the LGBT celebrations, with most of them having visiting and enjoyed Chueca.