WASHINGTON—As anticipation builds for World Pride 2025 in the nation’s capital, an unexpected development has altered the event lineup. Shakira, who was set to perform at the opening concert, has bowed out due to technical issues with equipment.
The Capital Pride Alliance, the primary organizer of the event, released a statement expressing their regret over the cancellation. “It’s a significant disappointment that unforeseen challenges have necessitated this decision,” the statement read.
They assured attendees that information concerning any changes to the Opening Ceremony will be provided promptly after arrangements are solidified.
Originally, the Grammy-winning artist was slated to headline the Saturday night festivities at Nationals Park. However, the cancellation is linked to unresolved technical troubles from her show planned at Fenway Park in Boston, as it was also called off shortly before it was due to commence. Following this, Jason Aldean’s concert scheduled at Fenway met a similar fate.
The recent statement from the Capital Pride Alliance clarified, “The unresolved issues from the Boston event have hindered our ability to transport Shakira’s full tour setup to Nationals Park on schedule. Despite all efforts to resolve the matter, continuing as scheduled is impossible.”
Though Shakira’s withdrawal reshapes the ceremony, the full range of citywide Pride events will proceed as planned. The opening ceremony itself will be relocated and reconfigured.
Organizers are already contending with broader challenges due to political tensions affecting attendance. Expectations for international participation have been dampened by discontent within the LGBTQ+ community over policies from President Donald Trump’s administration.
The administration’s stance on transgender rights and drag performances has led some groups, like Eagle Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition, to caution against travel to the U.S. The chief concern is an anticipated difficulty for transgender or nonbinary individuals at border control, as officials may enforce strict binary gender classifications.
Several international attendees have announced their decision to abstain from this year’s events, motivated either by apprehension over possible harassment or as a form of protest against the administration’s policies. Nonetheless, others are advocating for a domestic rally to increase presence in the capital.
Ryan Bos, Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance, mentioned that security would be heightened with fencing installed for the culminating concert and rally along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Initially, there appeared to be a decline in hotel reservations for June 6-8, compared to the previous year, according to reports from Destination D.C., the agency responsible for monitoring reservations. However, a turnaround has been noted, with Elliott Ferguson, President of Destination D.C., confirming a recent spike in last-minute bookings, particularly from the national community.
Ferguson conjectured that the concern over international attendees may have “inspired a surge within both the local and national communities to make their presence felt in the city.”