Chuwi, Villano Antillano, and PTAZETA will headline PR X Canarias at the Plaza de Santa Ana, while Spencer Tunick will transform hundreds of bodies into a giant human flag celebrating diversity
There are festivals that celebrate pride.
And there are others who are trying to rethink it.
Culture & Business Pride clearly falls into the second category.
The latest edition of the event will once again place Gran Canaria at the center of the international dialogue on culture, diversity, and human rights through a program that blends urban music, philosophy, activism, and contemporary art.
Two major events will capture much of the public’s attention.
On the one hand, PR X Canarias, a music and cultural summit that will connect Puerto Rico with the Canary Islands through artists such as Chuwi, Villano Antillano, and PTAZETA.
On the other hand, “Gran Spectrum,” the collective art project in which American photographer Spencer Tunick will use the bodies of hundreds of volunteers to recreate, for the first time, the color palette of the LGTBIQA+ flags.
Music and skin.
Celebration and Reflection.
Popular culture and avant-garde art.
Gran Canaria is gearing up to become one of the major cultural hubs of the summer.
PR X the Canary Islands and Two Archipelagos United by Music
On Saturday, August 1, the historic Plaza de Santa Ana in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host one of the most ambitious events of this year’s festival.
PR X Canarias was created as a bridge between Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands, two Atlantic territories shaped by migration, island identity, cultural fusion, and an extraordinary ability to create new music.
The event will be free, open to the public, and accessible, with a program designed to go beyond the conventional concert.
The goal is to foster dialogue across generations, regions, and perspectives through urban music, queer culture, and new forms of popular expression.
Chuwi Makes Its Debut in the Canary Islands Amid Rapid International Growth
One of the main highlights will be Chuwi’s debut in the archipelago.
The Puerto Rican band has become one of the most interesting acts on the new Caribbean scene thanks to a sound that blends indie sensibilities, traditional rhythms, and a perspective deeply rooted in the region, youth, and Puerto Rican identity.
Her international profile has grown rapidly after collaborating with Bad Bunny on “Weltita” and being chosen to open several shows on his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour.
But to reduce Chuwi to just that connection would be an understatement.
Their music serves as a generational chronicle of Puerto Rico, offering an intimate exploration of the social, political, and emotional tensions on an island marked by beauty, the diaspora, and cultural resistance.
Its presence at PR X Canarias perfectly captures the spirit of the initiative: to bring together scenes that share much more than meets the eye.
Villano Antillano, a voice that turned rap into resistance
The evening will also feature Villano Antillano, one of the most important and influential artists in the new Latin American urban music scene.
The Puerto Rican rapper and songwriter gained massive popularity after starring in Bizarrap’s 51st session, but her career goes far beyond that viral hit.
Villano has built a body of work marked by direct confrontation with machismo, transphobia, and homophobia, turning rap into a tool for self-affirmation and political resistance.
His presence at Culture & Business Pride cannot be understood solely in terms of the performance.
It also represents the ability of urban culture to create spaces where identities that were excluded from the dominant musical narrative for decades can be seen.
PTAZETA returns home as one of the leading figures in Spanish urban music
The local connection will be provided by PTAZETA.
Born in Arucas, Gran Canaria, the artist has established herself as one of the leading voices of the new Spanish urban music scene thanks to a combination of rap, reggaeton, electronic music, and an irreverent attitude.
His return to the island, depicted on a billboard connecting the Canary Islands with Puerto Rico, takes on a special significance.
PTAZETA represents a generation of Canarian artists who have managed to forge their own identity and bring it to the international market without abandoning their roots.
Their performance in the Plaza de Santa Ana is expected to be one of the highlights of the day.
“This is Drag” and “La Casita Queer” round out a night open to all identities
The program will also feature ” This is Drag,” a stage production linked to one of the most important artistic expressions in the history of the LGBTIQA+ movement.
Drag has served for decades as a refuge, a celebration, and an act of resistance.
At PR X Canarias, it will bring humor, entertainment, activism, and a powerful visual element that will enhance the festive atmosphere of the event.
The plaza will also feature La Casita Queer, a diverse reinterpretation of the structure that became popular during Bad Bunny’s tour.
The space is conceived as a gathering place for the community, reinforcing the idea that a festival can also become a space for care, identity, and a sense of belonging.
Spencer Tunick turns the skin into a collective banner
A few days before the big music festival, Culture & Business Pride will host another of the summer’s most exciting cultural events.
On July 26, New York photographer Spencer Tunick will stage his new group art project, Gran Spectrum, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas.
The artist is known worldwide for his large-scale photographic installations featuring hundreds or thousands of nude people in public spaces.
On this occasion, the participants will arrange themselves to recreate the color palette of the LGTBIQA+ flags for the first time, transforming their skin into a monumental human sculpture.
The initiative aims to erase—at least for a few moments—divisions based on gender, class, age, or profession.
All participants will become part of the same work.
A collective image conceived as a statement of resistance, diversity, and freedom.
How to Participate in Gran Spectrum
The call for volunteers is open to anyone who would like to participate in the project.
Advance registration is required and must be completed through the official Gran Spectrum platform.
Participants will also receive a limited-edition photograph signed by Spencer Tunick, making them not only protagonists of the work but also custodians of a unique work of art.
Much more than just music and photography
Culture & Business Pride describes itself as a boutique festival, but its mission goes far beyond entertainment.
The annual Chill Conferences will bring together leading figures from the worlds of philosophy, literature, the arts, and activism to discuss civil rights, artistic freedom, identity, and contemporary culture.
The meeting stems from an uncomfortable reality.
LGTBIQA+ rights continue to face setbacks and threats in various countries, while hate speech is once again gaining ground in institutional and media circles.
In this context, the festival views culture not only as a celebration, but also as a tool for social transformation.
The Canary Islands as a Place of Coexistence
The choice of Gran Canaria is not merely a matter of logistics.
For decades, the archipelago has been building an international identity rooted in diversity, freedom, and coexistence.
The Culture & Business Pride celebration reinforces that position and showcases the islands as a meeting point between Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Institutional support from the Gran Canaria Island Council, Promotur Turismo de Islas Canarias, the Canary Islands Institute of Cultural Development, and the Canary Islands Government also ensures that a large part of the program is open to the public and accessible.
LoffMusic’s opinion
The most interesting aspect of this edition is the natural way in which seemingly disparate languages coexist.
Villano Antillano’s rap.
PTAZETA’s island energy.
Chuwi’s new Puerto Rican sensibility.
The theatricality of drag.
And the silent grandeur of the bodies photographed by Spencer Tunick.
It’s all part of the same story.
A culture that no longer views diversity as a quota, but as a creative force.
Culture & Business Pride doesn’t suggest choosing between celebration and reflection.
Understand that both can occupy the same space.
That dancing can also be a political statement.
And that a body, a song, or a crowded square can become forms of resistance.
Practical Information
“Gran Spectrum,” by Spencer Tunick
Date: July 26,
Locations: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas
Participation: Advance registration required
Concept: Collective human sculpture inspired by the colors of the LGTBIQA+ flags
PR X Canary Islands
Date: August 1
Location: Plaza de Santa Ana, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Admission: Free
Lineup: Chuwi, Villano Antillano, PTAZETA, and This is Drag
Special Feature: La Casita Queer
