Where to stay, who’s performing when, and everything else you need to know about the historic Pride festival in the nation’s capital.
The pinnacle of Pride festivals , WorldPrideis headed to Washington , D.C. this year , marking only the second metre an American metropolis has ever hosted the global LGBTQ+ event ( the first metropolis was New York in 2019 ) . The momentous upshot is anticipating some 3 million attendees from all over the world ( up sizably from the 700,000 festival - goers for Capital Pride 2024 ) , and D.C. is turn over out the rainbow carpet , with a spree of city - blanket effect , A - list headliners like Jennifer Lopez and Cynthia Erivo , andnearly $ 800 millionexpected in visitant spending .
In partnership with D.C.’sCapital Pride Alliance ( CPA)and with the full - throated financial support of theMayor ’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs , WorldPride DC come to the U.S. Capital on the fiftieth day of remembrance of D.C. ’s first Pride and amid a bustle of anti - LGBTQ+ magniloquence and legislation from the Trump administration . Despite the eclat and pageantry , it ’s all starkly juxtaposed by a White House on a authoritarian tear against trans people , DEI first step , andLGBTQ+ youth . WorldPride organizers have evencautioned the international trans communityabout the potential jeopardy of coming to the U.S. under the current governance .
But Pride is about fete love , no matter how bleak thing seem . As we ’ve watch countless time in history before this , beloved always wins . That is why it ’s full steam onward for D.C. , a city that’s90 percent liberaland14.5 percentage LGBTQ+—the largest percentage of homophile resident of any American city . With a stacked ticket of celebratory and inclusive issue , from lavish parade and parties to megawatt concerts , conferences , and kaleidoscopic prowess installations , Pride is going big for 2025 . And more so than ever , specially in the nerve pith of American government , and at an unprecedented meter in modern history , Pride has never been more important .
Photo courtesy of Capital Pride Alliance
Where and when is WorldPride DC this year?
WorldPride DC officially takes place from Saturday , May 17 , through Sunday , June 8 . event and installations are held all over the Capital , from Freedom Plaza and Nationals Park to RFK Festival Grounds and the National Museum of Women in the Arts . Many events are free to attend to , while others — like the Shakira - ledWelcome Ceremony and Concert — are ticket .
Additionally , some affiliated events will start before the issue formally starts , likeHead over Heels , a faggot jukebox musical that complain off its campaign at the Constellation Theatre Company on May 1 . Meanwhile , others will stick around later into the summer , like the women - ledUncannyarts exhibition , on display through August 10 .
Who’s performing at WorldPride DC?
heap of liberal - ticket performers are set to hit the point during WorldPride DC , include some of the most noted LGBTQ+ musician and other iconic allies . Shakira kicks things off with the official Welcome Ceremony and Concert on May 31 at Nationals Park . The following weekend marks the beginning of the Music Festival : Global Dance Party at RFK Festival Grounds on June 6 and 7 , with headliners like Jennifer Lopez , Troye Sivan , Zedd , Grimes , Kim Petras , Paris Hilton , Rita Ora , RuPaul , Sofi Tukker , and more . On June 7 , the WorldPride Parade will start in Logan Circle , confidential information down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the U.S. Capitol . subsequently that evening , Cynthia Erivo will fill up out the night with a liberal concert .
gestate other music festivals , includingthe Capital House Music Festival , May 23 and 24 at Alethia Tanner Park , featuring 11 round-the-clock hr of dancing , cocktail , and public presentation from Julie McKnight , Dannis Winston , and DJ Mikki Afflick . The Choral Festival , which takes place at multiple locations throughout WorldPride DC , have 45 - moment pop - up performance from The Gay Men ’s Chorus of Washington , D.C. And then , there’sProject GLOW , an electronic music festival held May 31 - June 1 at RFK Festival Grounds , with star like Alan Walker , Loud Luxury , and Tiësto .
How to get tickets to WorldPride DC
Some events are free to attend , but others require tickets , which are available for leverage on the WorldPride DCwebsite . destitute events and facility includeOpera on Tap DC Metroat The Wonderland Ballroom , The Capital House Music Festival , Pride on the Pierat The Wharf , theWorldPride 17th Street Block Party , andPickets , Protests , and Parades : The account of Gay Pride in Washington , an outdoor exhibit from the Rainbow History Project in Freedom Plaza . TheWorldPride Paradeis loose to attend , though readjustment is required for participants , and tickets will be bid for covered stand and bleacher tail . Most other events requiretickets .
How to get to WorldPride DC
As an international hub , D.C. hosts three majorairports : Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ( 4.5 mile in the south of the National Mall ) , Washington Dulles International Airport ( the primary international airport , 28 naut mi west of the National Mall ) , and Baltimore / Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport ( 35 miles northeast of the National Mall ) . Reagan , the closest airport to the festivities ’ epicenter , has itsown Metro stopon the drear and Yellow lines for direct access to the city , while taxis and rideshare selection are also prevalent . Dulles has a Metro stop on the Silver note , andWashington Flyertaxis pop the question exclusive service to and from the airport . Unlike the others , BWI does n’t have a Metro stop , but traveler can link to Union Station via MARC and Amtrak train .
When and where is the parade?
The mainWorldPride Paradekicks off at 1 p.m. on June 7 at 14th Street NW and T Street NW in Logan Circle . From there , it will meander down T Street , around Thomas Circle , to Freedom Plaza — passing by the White House , just a occlusion away . It then marches eastwards on Pennsylvania Avenue NW before cease at ninth Street NW in front of the U.S. Capitol . The route is 1.8 miles long , and most participants may be marching for up to two hours . mail - parade , Cynthia Erivo headlines a liberal concert on the Capitol Center Stage .
Where to stay for WorldPride DC
Hotel option abound throughout the District , with select stays providingdiscount ratesfor the occasion , like the Hilton National Mall , the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC , and more . For a full list of participate hotels in D.C. right , Maryland , and Virginia , check theWorldPride DC ’s rundown here .
If you ’re unforced to forgo discount rate rates , some standout D.C. hotels include theInterContinental Washington D.C. The Wharf , place on the banks of the Potomac , with a rooftop pool and streak , a riverbank health club , and a young seasonally driven restaurant , Willowsong . locate in D.C. ’s new and tacky waterfront neighborhood , The Wharf , the hotel is walkable to most of the WorldPride action at law , while still offer a bit of welcome reprieve . The Dupont Circle Hotel , meanwhile , is a Michelin KEY property in D.C.s original gayborhood , with terrace - clad rooms and a swank , Mad humanity - esque cocktail bar , Doyle .
look for some more economical option ? look at a inn , likeGenerator Washington DC , or trek further into Maryland and Virginia for better rates . Of of course , there will always beAirbnb optionsin and around the District , although damage are sure to skyrocket the closer the outcome gets .
Photo courtesy of Capital Pride Alliance
What to eat at WorldPride DC
With its ownMichelin Guideand a slew offinalistsfor the James Beard Awards , it ’s no secret that D.C. ’s restaurant scene is just as alluring as its faggot scene . For WorldPride DC , specially , it ’s an given clip to search out the city ’s LGBTQ+-owned eatery and bars , as well as those run by consummate allies . For example , considerAnnie ’s Paramount Steakhouse , a family - break away restaurant located in the Dupont Circle gayborhood . Since opening in 1948 , the restaurant has been a basis for the local biotic community , signalise its commitment to inclusivity through twelvemonth - round rainbow decor and exercising a consignment to hiring poove stave . Of course , its super - sized Cosmopolitans help ensure any of the restaurant ’s predominantly queer clientele feel well-off in this hypersaturated third blank space .
Another queer bastion , Red Bear Brewing Co.is thefirst LGBTQ+-owned breweryin D.C. Operating in the fast - developing NoMa region , the bar offers all the trappings of a familiar brewpub ( the television play sports , the beer , the wings ) , but also hosts drag brunch andRuPaul ’s Drag Raceviewing parties , in an industrial , garage - like distance embellish with Pride flags .
One of D.C. ’s most prolific cordial reception group , Knead Hospitality & Design is LGBTQ+-owned , and includes stalwart restaurants such as Southern - inspiredSuccotashand the glamGatsby , where classic solace food — like chicken can pie and meat loaf — get a glow - up .
Photo courtesy of Capital Pride Alliance
Far beyond the bound of the gayborhood , gay bars number in all flavor across D.C. Among the young entries to the citywide drinks scene isThe Little Gay Pub , a stylish cocktail legal profession with a “ Great Love is for Everyone ” mural , more of an emphasis on mixology than vodka sodas , and nontextual matter celebrating trans multitude , reproductive right hand , and Black Lives Matter . Elsewhere , as you areserves as an all - 24-hour interval queer hangout , doing dual - duty as a coffee - sling coffeehouse by twenty-four hour period and a dance golf club by night — with soups , sandwich , and quesadillas in between . Or , head to Adams Morgan to check outPitchers , a brave sports bar aright next door to lesbian barA League of Her Own , a self - described “ queer women ’s neighborhood bar ” that regularly hosts upshot like clowning dark , puff shows , and music bingo .
What else is there to do at WorldPride DC?
Beyond the parade and main stage events , WorldPride DC boasts a riches of activations , artwork installation , theater , and more across the metro area . These includeUncanny , an exhibition showcasing women - key out creative person ’ corruption of patriarchal traditions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts;LGBTJews in the Federal City , an showing at the Capital Jewish Museum exploring the intersections of D.C. , Jewish , and rummy history at;We Are Gathered , a fagot play fromMoonlightscreenwriter Tarrell Alvin McCraney , performed at Arena Stage ; theWorldPride Film Festival , with screenings across the District ; and theCapital Cup Sports Festival , featuring more than 15 LGBTQ+ sports squad and leagues that will be playing in venue across the city .
TheWorldPride Human Rights Conferencetakes billet from June 4–6 at the JW Marriott and offers Edgar Albert Guest the chance to hear Edgar Albert Guest speakers and attend workshops on pouf history , visibility , and planetary result . On June 7,Fabric of Freedom , the festival ’s main night life event , will span three stages — and 100,000 square feet of dance floor — for the largest Pride night life event in the urban center ’s story .
to boot , partner Prides , which are local Pride system that officially partner with Capital Pride to host tandem case during WorldPride , includeDC Latinx Pride , API Pride , Trans Pride Washington DC , DC Black Pride , andDC Silver Pride , fete LGBTQ+ adults who lived through Stonewall . It all climax with theInternational March on Washington & Rally , hold June 8 at the Lincoln Memorial , and aclosing ceremonyand concert headlined by Doechii . Visitherefor the full schedule of outcome .
Photo courtesy of Washington.org
Should you go to WorldPride DC this year?
Most years , we ’d say a resounding yes — but this year is not a “ normal ” yr . For outside travelers , especially those in the trans community , travel to the U.S. for WorldPride DC can posesignificant discriminative and rubber risks . view the Trump administration ’s late attempts toban the “ ten ” marker on passports(used by many nonbinary people ) and prohibit trans mass ’s ability to modify gender mark , there are a lot ofuncertainties regarding external travelthese 24-hour interval . A Union judgeblocked the policy , but Trump has n’t exactly been the most jurisprudence - abiding … anything . It ’s a risk of exposure judgment , and one that should come down to personal determinations of puff and safety .
That said , Pride has arguably never been more important than properly now , amid a fuss of homophobia andtransphobiathatmany people feelthreatens to undermine the established ruler of law and backslide the U.S. into a oppressive colored historic period . Pride is more than a party ; Pride is a reminder of the power in community . Pride is pivotal , and not since the daytime of Stonewall has that been more evident . It ’s apt , then , that 50 class after D.C. ’s first homespun Pride , the city is congeal the global phase for a momentous celebration of pleasure , lovemaking , and inclusivity . The idea of 3 million LGBTQ+ and allied travelers fall on D.C. , parading through the street and illuminating arenas despitea backcloth of hate , is sweet satire at its gayest .
For those who sense safe , for those who experience emboldened to resist , and for those who pass up to be erased , go to WorldPride DC and show that love wins .
