Fulanita Fest 2026 to host The L Word icons Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey for the first time in Spain
March, 23, 2026
The guests will sign copies of their book So Gay For You for festival attendees on Saturday, May 30.
The L Word, the most important lesbian series in history, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary as a key reference in LGBTQIA+ culture.
This new addition positions Fulanita Fest as one of the most important events in the world aimed at LBT women.
Concerts, visual and musical showcases, sports activities, and family inclusion define the essence of the festival’s fourth edition.
Fulanita Fest will welcome internationally acclaimed actresses Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey, stars of the groundbreaking series The L Word, to its 2026 edition, marking their first appearance in Spain. The duo will take part in the festival on Saturday, May 30, at Marenostrum Fuengirola, where they will sign copies of their book So Gay For You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All.
Their participation represents one of the most significant international appearances in the festival’s history and reinforces Fulanita Fest’s growing status as a leading global event for LBT women. Located in southern Spain, Fulanita Fest invites LBT women to join over the course of about five days, 10.000 people will gather to celebrate the LBTGQIA+ community, and more specifically, LBT women. Live music with the likes of Fangoria, Violeta and Chanel (2022 Spanish Eurovision contestant), sports, exhibitions, talks, and a diverse, family-friendly program make this festival a safe and fun place to enjoy from May 25 to 31—a week of sunshine by the sea, including a welcome party and a closing party with a live DJ, which will serve as the perfect gathering spot for festival-goers; as well as a closing party featuring a performance by Maruja Limón, with her flamenco and rumba show, which will add a Spanish touch to the event’s finale.
Premiering in 2004, The L Word marked a turning point in the representation of lesbian women on television. Until then, lesbian characters were often portrayed as secondary or stereotypical, whereas this series was the first to focus on a central group of lesbian and bisexual women, exploring their relationships, personal conflicts, friendships, and everyday lives. The show helped increase visibility and normalize relationships between women in a mass medium such as television.
The broadcast of The L Word in Spain coincided with a period of major social and legal changes for the LGBTQIA+ community. In the early 2000s, public debate around LGBTQ+ rights gained visibility, culminating in 2005 with the approval of same-sex marriage in Spain. In this context, the series offered a rare portrayal for the time: lesbian and bisexual women with their own narratives, emotional relationships, and complex networks of friendship. Although set in Los Angeles, the series resonated with many Spanish viewers who had little access to lesbian representation in the media, contributing to increased visibility and fostering conversation and community around the experiences of lesbian women in Spanish society.
The original premise was created by Ilene Chaiken, Michele Abbott, and Kathy Greenberg. Chaiken is considered the main creator of the series and also served as executive producer. The show premiered on Showtime on January 18, 2004, and ran for six seasons, concluding on March 8, 2009. The L Word was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Coast Mountain Films studios, as well as on location in Los Angeles, California.
Kate Moennig y Leisha Hailey: LBT role models
The story of both actresses goes beyond the series that made them famous and marked a turning point in LGBTQIA+ audiovisual storytelling. This is reflected in So Gay For You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All, an intimate and humorous autobiography about art, friendship, queerness, and chosen family, written by Moennig and Hailey. The book includes never-before-told stories and behind-the-scenes photos from both the series and their personal lives. From their very first day on set, Kate and Leisha were so inseparable that the cast joked they were like a pair of pants—you couldn’t have one leg without the other. This inspired the name of their company and podcast, PANTS, launched in 2020 and downloaded more than twenty million times.
“This book has been a very special project for us over the past year—and in some ways, over the past two decades. That’s when we met, during auditions for the role of Shane in a small, unknown show that we weren’t even sure would ever see the light of day. Needless to say, it did—and it changed our lives forever,” explain the actresses and authors.
Their friendship has accompanied them through their greatest successes and most difficult moments, evolving from young queer women hiding their identities to becoming LGBTQ+ activists, actresses, podcasters, and entrepreneurs. Filled with never-before-shared details about the creation of the series, their real-life loves and losses, and their experiences as queer icons, So Gay For You is a sincere and inspiring love letter to an unbreakable friendship across decades, and a testament to the liberating power of chosen family.
Leisha Hailey is an actress, director, executive producer, musician, and podcaster. She is best known for her beloved role as Alice Pieszecki in the groundbreaking Showtime series The L Word and its reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Before making her mark on screen, Hailey co-founded the band The Murmurs in the 1990s, recorded three albums for MCA/Universal Records, and toured worldwide, including Lilith Fair. More than a decade later, in 2007, she co-founded the indie pop band Uh Huh Her, which toured internationally and sold albums worldwide.
Kate Moennig is a critically acclaimed actress and executive producer whose work spans film, television, and theater. She is best known for her iconic role as Shane McCutcheon in The L Word and its reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Moennig has also starred in the hit Showtime series Ray Donovan, Freeform’s Grown-ish, and Liz Feldman’s series No Good Deed. Her film credits include The Lincoln Lawyer, Lane 1974, and Art School Confidential, directed by Terry Zwigoff.
Fulanita Fest 2026: breaking new ground for LBT communities
The visit of The L Word stars adds to a festival program that includes concerts, cinema, sports, and family-oriented activities designed to create safe spaces for connection. The main musical lineup features artists such as Fangoria, Chanel, Natalia Lacunza, Jennifer Cooke, Violeta, and LaGore, who will perform at Marenostrum Fuengirola, while other activities will take place at iconic venues such as Sohail Castle.
Through this combination of music, thought, and contemporary creation, Fulanita Fest strengthens a programming vision that understands culture as a tool for social transformation and visibility. The festival positions itself as a landmark event within the national scene, not only for its musical offering but for its ability to create spaces where art, diversity, and citizenship engage on equal terms.
The 2026 edition ultimately reaffirms the festival’s commitment to female empowerment, cultural representation, and the creation of inclusive imaginaries, placing artistic practice at the center of a collective celebration that champions the freedom to be, create, and share.
Press for Fulanita Fest 2025