One day before the opening concert for World Pride 2025 in Washington, D.C., headlining artist Shakira suddenly canceled her performance due to equipment problems.
The Capital Pride Alliance, the main organizer of World Pride, expressed their disappointment in a statement on Friday. They said, “We are deeply disappointed that unforeseen circumstances have forced the cancellation. Updates about the relocated Opening Ceremony program will be released as soon as they are finalized.”
Shakira was scheduled to headline the kickoff event Saturday night at Nationals Park. The cancellation stems from ongoing equipment issues that first caused her Thursday concert at Boston’s Fenway Park to be canceled just hours before it was set to begin. Additionally, a Friday night show at Fenway for country star Jason Aldean was also canceled.
The statement from the Capital Pride Alliance explained, “Due to complications with the previous show in Boston, Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance at Nationals Park. Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”
Although this setback challenges the organizers, they assured that the rest of the citywide World Pride events will continue as planned. The kickoff ceremony will be moved to a different location and restructured.
This cancellation comes amid broader challenges for the Capital Pride Alliance. International attendance is expected to be lower than usual due to concerns in the LGBTQ+ community about President Donald Trump’s policies. His administration’s stance against transgender rights and drag shows has led international LGBTQ+ groups like Eagle Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition to caution against traveling to the U.S. Many worry that transgender and nonbinary travelers could face difficulties at customs because of strict binary gender policies.
Some international attendees have already announced plans to skip the event either out of fear of discrimination or as a protest against Trump’s policies. However, others are calling for a strong domestic turnout to compensate.
Ryan Bos, Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance, said security fencing will be installed around the final two-day concert and rally, which will stretch along several blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Early hotel bookings for the World Pride weekend, June 6-8, were initially down compared to the previous year, according to Destination D.C., which monitors reservation data.
However, Destination D.C. President Elliott Ferguson noted a recent surge in last-minute bookings, especially from national attendees. He suggested that concerns about lower international participation have motivated the local and national LGBTQ+ communities to come together and show strong support by attending the event in Washington, D.C.
