AY, CALLAO! CINES CALLAO CELEBRATED ITS CENTENARY WITH A NIGHT OF CABARET, PRIDE AND POPULAR CINEMA

Last Thursday, 2 July, Cines Callao once again brought one of Madrid’s most recognisable corners to life with ¡Ay, Callao!, an exclusive invitation-only celebration that transformed its main auditorium into a contemporary cabaret. In the midst of Pride Week and as part of its centenary programme, the cinema demonstrated that its hundred years of history are not merely a matter of memory, but are also very much part of the present: with spectacle, freedom and a clear determination to continue surprising audiences.

The evening took as its starting point the provocative aesthetic of ‘Destape’ cinema—one of the great cultural phenomena of the Transition—reinterpreting it through a contemporary and festive lens. The result was a blend of cabaret, burlesque, humour, dance and live music that linked the history of popular Spanish cinema with the pulse of Madrid’s queer culture. More than a nostalgic evocation, ¡Ay, Callao! served as a celebration of freedom, diversity and spectacle, understood as a space for coming together.

Throughout the evening, the spirit of the ‘Destape’ and the contemporary queer scene interacted on stage with a shared energy: that of breaking the mould, celebrating difference and championing popular culture as a space where excess, emotion and freedom of expression have their place.

A venue transformed into a cabaret

The evening was hosted by Supremme de Luxe, an undisputed legend of Spanish drag and a central figure in our country’s LGBTIQ+ culture, who acted as master of ceremonies on a night where humour, music and audacity set the tone from the very start.

Also taking to the stage were Miss Loot, a burlesque artist and content creator; Santa Catalina, with a performance inspired by the glamour of classic cinema; and Alpilpil, the duo formed by Adrián Melero and Lucas Pulido, who brought their characteristic generational humour to a night designed to blend styles, eras and audiences.

The artistic and choreographic direction was handled by Alex G. Robles, a professional choreographer with over twenty years’ experience in theatre, dance and large-scale shows such as *Vuelve el Cabaret* and *La Dama de los Espejos*.

When Plaza de Callao also took centre stage

Before the indoor show began, the celebrations had already taken to the streets. From 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Pupi Poisson performed on the outdoor stage at Cines Callao, bringing the spirit of cabaret and Pride to Plaza del Callao and turning the entrance to the cinema into an initial open invitation to the people of Madrid and visitors alike.

The outdoor screens at Cines Callao complemented this opening up to the public space with a visual display inspired by the imagery of ‘El Destape’, projecting the event’s aesthetic onto one of the city’s busiest spots.

A photocall to kick off the evening

The photocall brought together big names such as Moises Nieto, Adrián Chico, Milo Quiles, Abel Arana, Bárbara Santa Cruz, Pino Montes de Oca, Sebastián Gallego and Ernesto Naranjo, as well as some of the rising stars of Spanish cinema, including Ana Garcés, Tomy Aguilera and Victoria Kantch – the trio starring in the new Netflix series *Oasis*. They all gathered to celebrate the centenary of cinema and Pride. Accompanied by burlesque dancers and backing singers, the guests’ arrival turned the entrance to Cines Callao into the first highlight of the evening.

From the show to the after-party

Inside the venue, the event took place in two parts, separated by an interval featuring light refreshments and an open bar. After the show, the celebrations continued with an after-party and a DJ set that kept the energy going well past midnight.

Glitter, fans and divas

The ‘Glitter & Divas’ dress code was on display throughout the evening in the form of glitter, feathers, sheer fabrics and extravagance. As a nod to popular Spanish culture, each guest also received a fan accompanied by a guide to its traditional language – a touch that made this icon part of the evening’s theatrical and social interplay.

A centenary looking to the present

‘Ay, Callao!’ was not just another event on the Cines Callao centenary calendar (1926–2026), but a way of updating its own narrative. For one night, the building ceased to be merely an icon of the Gran Vía and became an expanded stage: the auditorium, façade and square functioned as a single space for gathering, celebration and popular culture.

That gesture perhaps offered the most contemporary interpretation of the anniversary: celebrating a hundred years not as an ode to the past, but as an excuse to ask what might continue to happen within (and around) a place as iconic as this. At ¡Ay, Callao!, the answer came in the form of music, humour, performers on stage and a square watching in awe, reminding us that the history of a cinema is also written every time it reconnects with its audience.

Exclusive invitation-only event. Limited capacity.