While recent political shakeups at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have cast a shadow over WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., the heart of the celebration—the WorldPride Music Festival—is forging ahead as planned.
The festival shared on Instagram, “📍The WorldPride Music Festival and all 10 official after-parties are ON. Everyone’s coming.
📅 June 6–7 in DC — let’s dance, unite, and make history. 🌈🎶✨”
Despite the Kennedy Center’s abrupt cancellation of over 20 LGBTQ+ events, including its signature Tapestry of Pride series, organizers of the WorldPride Music Festival, which is entirely separate from the center, are reaffirming their commitment to celebration, resistance, and unity. The festival will take place June 6–7, culminating one of the largest Pride events the capital has ever seen.
Kennedy Center Fallout
The turbulence began in February 2025, when former President Donald Trump installed political allies, including himself as chairman and Richard Grenell as interim executive director, at the Kennedy Center. This leadership overhaul led to the cancellation of numerous Pride-related performances, including shows by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the International Pride Orchestra. Official explanations cited financial and scheduling constraints, though many artists have decried the move as politically motivated.
A Festival That Won’t Be Silenced
Still, the WorldPride Music Festival has become a beacon of defiance and joy amid the disruption. Organizers are doubling down on the event’s original mission—to bring people together through music, visibility, and celebration. All ten official after-parties are still happening, promising a vibrant, high-energy weekend that unites queer communities from around the globe.
This historic event will bring together a diverse array of iconic performers, including Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, RuPaul, Paris Hilton, Tinashe, Kim Petras, Zedd, Rita Ora, Marina, Sofi Tukker, Galantis, and Purple Disco Machine. The festival’s two-day schedule will span across three immersive stages, featuring an eclectic mix of genres ranging from pop and house to EDM, techno, and drag performances.
RuPaul, the drag legend known for his groundbreaking contributions to LGBTQ+ visibility, will be taking the stage for a DJ set, as well as Paris Hilton, whose impact on pop culture and LGBTQ+ communities has been felt for decades. Kim Petras, the transgender pop star who has become a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation in music, will also perform, along with Tinashe, Zedd, Rita Ora, Slayyyter and Marina.
“WorldPride Music Festival is a moment the world will remember,” said Jake Resnicow, Executive Producer of the festival and Dreamland founder, earlier this year. “With legendary artists and our global community coming together, we’re creating an electrifying celebration that unites, uplifts, and amplifies LGBTQ+ voices like never before. Hosting this festival in our nation’s capital makes it even more powerful—it’s not just a party, it’s a global movement.”
The Beat Goes On
Even as political winds shift, the WorldPride Music Festival promises to be a cultural and emotional high point of the international LGBTQ+ calendar. The music, the parties, and the people are still coming—and the message is louder than ever: Pride will not be canceled.
