Araneta City unveils Pride mural

Araneta City on June 2 unveiled a Pride mural called “Free to be HUE” at the New Frontier Theater arcade along Gen. Roxas Avenue in Quezon City, opening its month-long Pride campaign. The installation is 9.78 meters wide and 5.24 meters high, according to event coverage and company materials. Araneta City said the work was meant to highlight individuality, inclusivity and self-expression, and Quezon City officials joined the launch. Guests were also invited to add final touches to the mural during the unveiling. ### Where exactly is the mural, and what does it look like? The mural stands outside the New Frontier Theater arcade on Gen. Roxas Avenue, one of the main pedestrian corridors inside the Araneta City complex in Cubao. Interaksyon and ABS-CBN described it as the centerpiece of Araneta City’s 2026 Pride Month programming. The work uses bright, multicolor panels and Pride-themed imagery to frame the campaign’s “Free to be HUE” message. (interaksyon.philstar.com) The dimensions — 9.78 meters by 5.24 meters — make it a large public-facing installation rather than a temporary indoor display. Manila Standard said the unveiling was led by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, underscoring local government participation in the event. ### Who made it? Artist Mikaela David designed the mural, while muralist Marco Gordola executed the work, according to Interaksyon and ABS-CBN. (interaksyon.philstar.com) Both reports said the piece was built around themes of individuality, inclusivity and self-expression. (manilastandard.net) Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte attended the unveiling alongside Araneta City Vice President for Marketing Marjorie Go and Quezon City Gender and Development Council head Janete Oviedo, Interaksyon reported. ABS-CBN also listed Quezon City Tourism Department officer-in-charge Giana Aira Barata, Galang Philippines community organizer Joan Oliveros and Tibo Quezon City Federation president Zabdiel Tolentino among attendees. (interaksyon.philstar.com) ### What did officials say at the launch? Joy Belmonte said the mural celebrated “iba’t ibang kulay, pagkakakilanlan, at istorya ng pagmamahal” of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, according to Interaksyon. Manila Standard described the work as symbolizing inclusivity, acceptance and self-expression. (interaksyon.philstar.com) Araneta City framed the installation as a symbolic entry point to a broader Pride campaign running through June. Reports ahead of the launch described the campaign as a month-long program built around community events across the commercial complex. (interaksyon.philstar.com) ### Was the mural only a one-day event? The June 2 unveiling was the opening event, but the mural is also intended to remain as a visible public installation during the rest of Pride Month. ABS-CBN reported that attendees joined a collaborative painting activity after the formal ceremony, adding the mural’s final touches. (manilatimes.net) Lifestyle and event listings published before the launch said the mural outside New Frontier Theater was conceived as a “lasting expression” of Araneta City’s support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Those previews also positioned it as the first stop in a wider calendar of June activities. (abs-cbn.com) ### What comes next in Araneta City’s Pride calendar? Araneta City’s next scheduled event is a Pride Run on June 7 at the Green Gate of the Smart Araneta Coliseum, according to Interaksyon and ABS-CBN. The lineup then moves to a Quezon City Pride Dance Competition on June 9 at Farmers Plaza and “Graduation Rights,” a march for LGBTQIA+ graduates, on June 11 at Gateway Mall 2. (lifestyleplusph.com) Later events include a Safe Space Session on June 18 at Ali Mall, a Pride Bazaar from June 26 to 28 at Farmers Plaza, and “Lovelaban sa Araneta” on June 27 at Gateway Mall 1, the same reports said. (interaksyon.philstar.com)