Shakira performance for World Pride opening concert abruptly canceled

One time earlier the kickoff performance for World Pride 2025 successful the nation’s capital, headlining performer Shakira has abruptly cancelled owed to instrumentality difficulties

WASHINGTON -- One time earlier the kickoff performance for World Pride 2025 successful the nation's capital, headlining performer Shakira has abruptly cancelled owed to instrumentality difficulties.

“We are profoundly disappointed that unforeseen circumstances person forced the cancellation” of the concert, the Capital Pride Alliance, the main World Pride organizer, said successful a Friday statement. “Updates astir the relocated Opening Ceremony programme volition beryllium released arsenic soon arsenic they are finalized!”

The multi-platinum vocalist had been scheduled to header the opening celebrations Saturday nighttime astatine Nationals Park. The reasons are seemingly an hold of instrumentality issues related to her Thursday nighttime performance successful Boston's Fenway Park, which was also cancelled hours before it was acceptable to begin. A Friday nighttime performance astatine Fenway for state prima Jason Aldean was besides cancelled.

“Due to complications with the erstwhile amusement successful Boston, Shakira’s afloat circuit accumulation cannot beryllium transported to Washington, D.C. successful clip for her scheduled show astatine Nationals Park,” the Capital Pride Alliance connection said. “Despite each effort to marque it happen, it is not imaginable to determination guardant arsenic planned.”

The Alliance noted that the full slate of citywide events was inactive connected for opening weekend, and said the kickoff ceremonial would beryllium relocated and reorganized.

The cancellation presents a further situation for the Alliance, but astatine slightest a non-political one. Organizers person already said they expected planetary attendance to measurably endure arsenic a effect of interest and choler successful the LGBTQ+ assemblage implicit President Donald Trump's policies.

Trump’s nationalist antipathy for trans protections and resistance shows has already prompted 2 planetary LGBTQ+ organizations, Eagle Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition, to contented warnings against traveling to the U.S. astatine all. The superior interest is that trans oregon non-binary individuals would look occupation entering the state if passport power officers enforce the administration’s strict binary presumption of sex status.

Some imaginable planetary participants person already announced plans to skip this year’s events, either retired of fearfulness of harassment oregon arsenic a boycott against Trump’s policies. But others person called for a home mobilization to flood the capital.

Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said that information fencing would beryllium installed surrounding the last two-day performance and rally connected a multi-block agelong of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Early edifice preservation numbers for the last World Pride weekend, June 6-8, were primitively down from the erstwhile year, according to Destination D.C., which tracks reservations.

But Destination D.C. President Elliott Ferguson told reporters connected Thursday that, “what we’re seeing present is simply a surge astatine the past minute, particularly with the nationalist community.”

Ferguson speculated that concerns astir planetary attendance had “galvanized the section community, the nationalist assemblage to privation to travel to the city.”

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