Arts & Entertainment
Regional Pride events continue through June and beyond
Pittsburgh and Philly are this weekend; Baltimore, New York to follow
Baltimore Pride (Washington Blade photo by Chris Jennings)
Many jurisdictions within a few hours’ driving time from Washington have Pride events planned in the coming weeks.
Apparently there’s drama in Pittsburgh. The Delta Foundation, the group that’s been organizing Pride there since 2008, concludes its 10-day series of Pride events this weekend but several groups have siphoned off planning separate events claiming the foundation is “too focused on cisgender white gay men,” according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburghpride.org was dead as of Blade press time.
Philadelphia’s is also this weekend. The Philly Gay Pride Parade and Festival is June 10 at 11 a.m. It begins at 13th and Locust Street and ends at the festival location, the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. Admission to the festival is $15. For more information, visit phillygaypride.org.
Baltimore Pride “United We Shine,” is from June 15-17. The Pride Parade is June 16 from 1-3 p.m. The procession begins at N.Charles and 33rd St. and ends at N.Charles and 23rd St. Following the parade is the Block Party in Station North. The Pride Festival is on June 17 from noon- 6 p.m. At Druid Hill Park. The festival is kid-friendly, and features performers, exhibitors, a Drag Stage, and local food trucks. Headliners for the weekend include Miami TIP, TT the Artist, Taylor Bennett on Saturday, and Tish Hyman on Sunday. For more events and information, visit baltimorepride.org.
Eastern Panhandle Pride is also June 15-17 in Shepherdstown, W.Va. There will be a vendor street fair on June 15, as well as a Pride River Float to Harpers Ferry. The unguided, flat water float is June 16 from 2-6 p.m. The cost is $36 per rider. Call 304-535-2663 to book. Search for the group on Facebook for details.
Panhandle Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Hampton Roads Pride, “Stand Up, Stand Out,” is June 21-30 in Norfolk, Va. The week starts off with the Chrysler Kick-off on June 21 from 6-9 p.m. At the Chrysler Museum of Art (One Memorial Place, Norfolk, Va.). The festivities culminate with the Pride Block Party at the Norfolk Scope Arena (201 E. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va.) on June 29 from 7 p.m.-midnight. Tickets are $12 online before June 25 and $15 at the door. On June 30, there will be a Pride boat parade at noon at the Norfolk waterfront, followed by the Pridefest from noon-7 p.m. At Town Point Park. For more events and information, visit hamptonroadspride.org.
Frederick Pride, organized by the Frederick Center, an LGBT nonprofit, is June 23 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. At Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, Md. About 7,000 attendees are expected. There will be bands, drag, DJs and dancing. Children’s activities such as face painting will be in a special Kid’s Tent, as well as organized youth sports and crafts. There will be a food court and a beer and wine area. An official Pride Store will be selling Pride paraphernalia to support programs at the local LGBT community center. Although Pride is only one day, there will also be a week of activities including a silent auction party, a proclamation ceremony at City Hall, Pride film festival, a Pride interfaith ecumenical service and Pride after party. For more information, visit proudout.com.
NYC Pride, “Defiantly Different,” is June 24. Pride Island, a live music event, is June 23 from 2-10 p.m. and 24 from 2-11 p.m. At Pier 97 Hudson River Park (57th St. and West Side Hwy., N.Y.). This year’s headliners are Tove Lo, Lizzo, DJ Simon Dunmore, Big Freedia, Sasha Velour, DJ Dawson, Kylie Minogue, DJ Grind, DJ Ralphi Rosario, and DJ Corey Craig. Fireworks will close out the event. PrideFest is June 24 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. At University Place (between 13th St. and Waverly Place, NY.). Ross Mathews is hosting and Alex Newell will perform. Parson James will perform the national anthem. For more events and information, visit nycpride.org.
New York City Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
A few more are later in the year.
Hagerstown Hopes, an LGBT nonprofit, is hosting the Hagerstown Pride Festival on July 14 from noon-6 p.m. The theme is “This is Me.” There will be live entertainment, speakers, vendors, and food. The festival is family friendly. Details on Facebook or at hagerstownhopesmd.org.
The Shenandoah Valley Pride Festival is Saturday, July 21, from 2-8 p.m. In Court Square in Harrisonburg, Va. Details at shenandoahvalleypride.org.
The 26th annual Pride Festival of Central PA is Saturday, July 28 in Harrisburg, Pa. Details at centralpapridefesetival.com.
VA Pridefest “This is Me” will be held Sept. 22 at Browns Island in Richmond, Va. Details at vapride.org.
Virginia Pride (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The 2018 Northern Virginia Pride Festival “United in Pride” is Sept. 29. Details at novapride.org.
NOVA Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
No information yet on D.C. Youth Pride. It was held in early October in 2017 after being held in May for many years.
Youth Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Celebrity News
My evening with Madonna
Gay icon headlined the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. They will be covering World Pride in Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM — Madonna and 6,000 of her closest friends celebrated World Pride at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall early Sunday morning. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Madonna last Wednesday nearly broke the internet when she said on social media in Dutch that “I got somethin’ I wanna talk about,” referring to an opening line in “Danceteria,” one of the tracks on her “Confessions II” album that has received rave reviews since its July 2 release. The track has been on near constant replay on my playlist since I first heard it.
— Madonna (@Madonna) July 28, 2026
MISTR — a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term care that has organized Madonna’s Club Confessions shows in the U.S. and the U.K. — later confirmed the rampant speculation. I woke up on July 30 to an email in my inbox from MISTR and the World Pride Music Festival PR team that said I was on the press list.
Madonna was indeed going to headline the World Pride Music Festival that Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced, and I was going to be there. OMFG!!!!
The gay icon had one more surprise in store.
The Dutch internet on Saturday once again broke over speculation that Kylie Minogue was going to appear alongside Madonna. I was getting ready to leave our hotel in Amsterdam on Saturday night when I saw a video of the two of them together.
“Madonna is now teasing Kylie Minogue on her social media … she may be one of her ‘special guests’ tonight,” I wrote in a text to Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff at 8:46 p.m.
“Have fun! This is turning into the gayest concert ever,” he responded.
I arrived at AFAS Live shortly before 11 p.m. My press contact walked me and two other Dutch journalists into the venue’s cavernous main room known as the Black Box. We made small talk for a few minutes before I started to walk around and listen to Josh Harrison who was on the decks.
Madonna was scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 a.m., but she is known for being late — she is Madonna and she does what she wants. Hayla, a British singer, and Bebe Rexha are among those who performed ahead of Madonna. Thousands of sweaty men — including a group of Australians next to me who were eagerly awaiting Kylie’s anticipated appearance — packed the Black Box and were dancing, anticipating what was to come.
MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft at one point came on stage and declared Madonna was indeed in the building. The moment for which we were all eagerly waiting finally came shortly before 2:30 a.m.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage.
Stuart Price, who produced her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album in 2005, manned the decks during Madonna’s set.
She opened it with “I Feel So Free” from “Confessions II.” Madonna then sang “Bring Your Love” and “Danceteria” to which this reporter — and everyone else — sang along.
Madonna then teased a surprise before she began to perform “Love Sensation.” Kylie soon appeared on stage. It was nearly too much for my fellow partygoers from Australia. It was indeed the gayest concert ever!
Madonna and Kylie performed “Love Sensation” together. They then sang “Hung Up” and “Sorry” from “Confessions on a Dance Floor” to round out the set that ended shortly after 3 a.m.
Madonna and I share the same birthday — Aug. 16 — and I would like to think she and Kylie gave me an early birthday present. In all seriousness though, it was an amazing night for me and for everyone else who was fortunate enough to be there.
“On the dance floor I feel so free,” says Madonna in the opening of “I Feel So Free.”
For those few precious hours at AFAS Live I did not think about the Trump-Vance administration and the myriad ways it is destroying the U.S. I did not think about the National Guard troops deployed to D.C. I did not think about the pointless wars that continue to ravage Ukraine and other countries around the world. I simply lost myself on the dance floor and celebrated an icon who has always stood with my community.
Thank you, Madonna.
The Petal Release Party and Drag Show was held at Spark Social on Friday, July 31. Performers included Tiara-Missou, Labianna and Darcy de la Cuadra.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Celebrity News
Madonna headlines World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Kylie Minogue made surprise appearance alongside gay icon
AMSTERDAM — Madonna on Sunday headlined the final night of the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam.
The gay icon took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday) during Club Confessions, a set that MISTR, a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term HIV care, organized.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage inside Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall that can hold up to 6,000 people.
Stuart Price, who produced Madonna’s 2005 “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album and “Confessions II,” which debuted on July 2, DJed the set.
Kylie Minogue made a surprise appearance. She and Madonna performed a new remix of “Love Sensation” from “Confessions II.”
(Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
“Throughout my career, I’ve always supported efforts to fight HIV and AIDS, and that fight begins with education and access,” said Madonna in a MISTR press release. “With MISTR, (CEO) Tristan (Schukraft) is expanding access to HIV prevention and sexual healthcare for everyone. Through this work, he’s helping preserve and strengthen LGBTQ+ spaces while investing in the communities and culture that have long sustained us.”
Minogue in an Instagram post thanked Madonna, Price, Schukraft, and MISTR.
Madonna appeared at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Calif., in April. Madonna in June celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York’s Times Square.
Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced the World Pride Music Festival that also featured Bebe Rexha and Paris Hilton, among others.
“Pride has always been about bringing our community together,” said Resnicow. “At a moment when too many people are being told to hide or make themselves smaller, gathering openly, joyfully, and without apology matters more than ever. I couldn’t be prouder of what this festival brought to life in Amsterdam — one dance floor, completely free.”
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