WorldPride 2025 Washington, D.C.

The Fabric of Freedom

We’re already counting down the days until WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C. — and for good reason. For two weeks, from May 23 to June 8, 2025, Washington, D.C. will be alive with parades, performances, discussions, and global LGBTQ+ advocacy. With its rich history and dynamic culture, the city will offer an unforgettable fusion of activism, LGBTQ+ entertainment, and celebration in one of the most significant WorldPride events to date. 

As the first-ever U.S. capital to host WorldPride, D.C. will transform into a global stage for LGBTQ+ pride, advocacy, and unity. This year marks a historic milestone as the city celebrates 50 years of Pride, honoring the resilience, progress, and strength of the LGBTQ+ community.

In a time when LGBTQ+ rights face growing challenges, it is the fabric of our community — woven together by our cultures, identities, and shared struggles — that will guide us forward. Washington, D.C. will welcome visitors from around the world to celebrate this unshakable unity and continue the fight for equality. While the Progress Pride flag symbolizes our diversity, it is our shared humanity that defines our greatest strength.

© Facebook/Sydney WorldPride

WorldPride Music Festival 2025

A highlight of the LGBTQ+ celebrations will be the WorldPride Music Festival, featuring an all-star lineup of international superstars and LGBTQ+ icons. The stage will be graced by Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Paris Hilton, and RuPaul, bringing a spectacular showcase of music, dance, and queer joy. 

© Facebook/WorldPride Festival

From high-energy concerts to intimate live performances, the gay and lesbian festival promises an electrifying atmosphere that will leave a lasting mark on WorldPride history. More artists and event details will be revealed soon, so stay tuned for what is sure to be a showstopping lineup.

The WorldPride Parade & Historic March

The WorldPride Parade, set for Saturday, June 7, 2025, will be a historic moment as thousands of gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and allied members of the community march through the heart of Washington, D.C. The route will pass some of the world’s most symbolic sites of democracy and civil rights, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, and the National Mall. With over a million attendees expected, this will be both a celebration and a reminder of the fight for equality that continues today.

Walking through these landmarks will be a powerful act of LGBTQ+ resilience and visibility. The march will honor those who paved the way for gay and lesbian rights while calling for continued action and solidarity. Whether you are marching for progress, love, or community, this will be a defining moment of Pride, protest, and unity.

WorldPride: History in the Making

WorldPride is a global celebration that promotes equality and liberty of people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex communities. It brings people together globally, with everyone collectively rallying for freedom and equal human rights. The inaugural WorldPride took place in Rome in 2000, and since then, there have been editions of WorldPride Jerusalem 2006, WorldPride London 2012, WorldPride Toronto 2014, WorldPride Madrid 2017, WorldPride New York 2019, WorldPride Copenhagen 2021, and WorldPride Sydney 2023. 

Beyond the Parade: WorldPride 2025 LGBTQ+ Events

WorldPride 2025 will bring a citywide program of celebration, activism, and education. The Global Human Rights Conference will unite activists, policymakers, and LGBTQ+ pioneers to discuss the future of equality. Meanwhile, Pride Villages across the city will transform streets into lively pedestrian spaces filled with LGBTQ+-owned businesses, pop-up bars, and art showcases.

D.C.’s legendary queer nightlife will also take center stage, with circuit parties, drag performances, and rooftop celebrations happening throughout the city. While The Kennedy Center usually hosts extravagant drag shows and outdoor film screenings highlighting queer cinema and storytelling, the Trump Administration of the KC board has unfortunately canceled all events here for WorldPride D.C.

© Facebook/WorldPride Festival

For history lovers, LGBTQ+ walking tours will explore significant sites in the city’s activist past. Whether you’re looking to dance until dawn, engage in meaningful discussions, or immerse yourself in LGBTQ+ culture, WorldPride 2025 will have something for everyone. 

WorldPride D.C.: A City of LGBTQ+ History and Progress

Washington, D.C. has long been at the heart of social change. From the March on Washington in 1963 to ongoing fights for gay and lesbian rights, the city is a backdrop for activism and progress. Hosting WorldPride in 2025 is another defining chapter, bringing together a global community to stand in solidarity and push for a more inclusive future for the LGBTQ+ community.
 
Beyond the celebrations, visitors will have the chance to explore some of the most iconic landmarks in the U.S. The National Mall and Smithsonian Museums offer powerful insights into history, activism, and culture, while the National Museum of African American History and Culture highlights intersectional struggles and achievements.     

LGBTQ+ hotspots like Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Adams Morgan will be at the center of WorldPride’s energy, showcasing D.C.’s vibrant queer scene, diverse nightlife, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Throughout the city, monuments and landmarks will be lit in rainbow colors, symbolizing visibility and pride.

Book Your Stay for WorldPride 2025

Washington, D.C. is home to some of the most LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and accommodations in the U.S. Through misterb&b, you can find stays hosted by LGBTQ+ locals, boutique hotels, and luxurious city-center gay accommodations. With record-breaking attendance expected, securing your gay-friendly accommodation early is key. Book now and celebrate your pride in the heart of the U.S. capital. 

WorldPride is more than a party; it is a political celebration that honors pride in every shape and form. It encourages everyone to pay tribute to those who came before us during the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York who fought for the rights we can enjoy today. By embracing every shade of the pride rainbow and approaching life beyond the confines of black and white, you too can experience a more welcoming world and enjoy your pride at WorldPride 2023 - just as every other day.

A History of WorldPride

The WorldPride is a worldwide event by InterPride, the international association of gay pride coordinators, held every few years in a different city in the world. InterPride selects the host cities at its annual general meeting. The event internationally promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues through parades, festivals, and other cultural activities. 

The inaugural WorldPride was held in Rome in the year 2000. Here is the complete list of the past WorldPride editions:

2000 Rome, Italy

The WorldPride title was awarded for the first time to the city of Rome, Italy, from July 1 to July 9, 2000. The event faced ferocious opposition from the Vatican, Pope John Paul II, and conservative politicians. Despite the turmoil, 250,000 marched to the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, one of the biggest crowds to gather in Rome for decades. The scheduled events included conferences, a fashion show, a large parade, a leather dance, and a concert featuring Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, RuPaul, and Geri Halliwell.

2006 Jerusalem, Israel

The Jerusalem Open House, the city’s gay community center, won the bid to host WorldPride 2005 in the Holy City. It was postponed until 2006 because of tensions arising from Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. It was called Love Without Borders. The city of Tel Aviv canceled its own annual Pride Weekend to make sure that more Israelis attended the main march. The main parade was initially scheduled for August 6 but was vehemently opposed by Israeli religious leaders. Due to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the march was canceled and held on November 10 of the same year.

2012 London, UK

Pride London won the bid to host WorldPride 2012 in the English capital, ahead of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games and during the year-long celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Initially planned as a spectacular event, London’s WorldPride was significantly scaled back nine days before the event occurred because of financial issues. Activist Peter Tatchell famously said: “It now looks like WorldPride in London will go down in history as a damp squib.”

2014 Toronto, Canada

Pride Toronto, in partnership with the city’s tourism agency, Tourism Toronto, won the bid to host WorldPride 2014 for the first time in North America. The event’s slogan was Rise Up. The opening ceremony featured concert performances by Melissa Etheridge, Deborah Cox, Steve Grand, and Tom Robinson. Three marches occurred over the last three days of the ten-day celebration: the Trans march, the Dyke march, and the WorldPride Parade. All three demonstrations were the longest of their kind in Canadian history. The parade lasted over five hours, marking it as one of the longest parades in Toronto’s history. 

2017 Madrid, Spain

Madrid Pride and the city of Madrid, Spain, won the bid to host WorldPride 2017, which marked Spain's 40th anniversary of its first Pride Parade in 1977, during the dictatorship. Over 40 years, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals managed to make Chueca one of Madrid’s areas with the greatest freedom, tolerance, and diversity. At the same time, “Madrid Orgullo” became one of the most significant gay events in the world. The 2017 WorldPride in Madrid was one of the largest Pride parades in the world, with nearly 3,500,000 attendees. misterb&b was proud to participate with our own special float. 

2019 New York City, USA

Of course, New York won the bid for WorldPride 2019. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the Pride movement was returning to its roots. New York and the world celebrated the largest international Pride celebration in history: Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising of June 28, 1969, which occurred in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood and is widely considered to mark the start of the modern Gay Rights Movement, Five million spectators attended in Manhattan for Pride weekend alone.

2021 Copenhagen, Denmark & Malmö, Sweden

Copenhagen and Malmö won the bid to co-host WorldPride 2021 with the EuroGames. Despite the continuing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, online and Covid-safe events were held in August 2021, with over 1,000 events spanning sports, culture, human rights, and Pride. 

2023 Sydney, Australia

Sydney became the first Southern Hemisphere city to host WorldPride, merging with its iconic Mardi Gras for a historic 17-day celebration. Over 500,000 attendees participated in events, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pride March, a star-studded Opening Concert featuring Kylie Minogue and Danni Minogue, and a Global Human Rights Conference. The city was transformed with Pride Villages, public art installations, and a vibrant cultural program, solidifying Sydney as a global LGBTQ+ hub and gay hotspot.

2025 Washington D.C., USA

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2026 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

WorldPride 2026 will take place in Amsterdam from July 25 to August 8, 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of same-sex marriage legalization in the Netherlands. The event will feature the iconic Canal Parade, a global LGBTQIA+ rights conference at the historic Beurs van Berlage, and cultural festivities, including a multi-day film festival. As one of the world’s most diverse cities, Amsterdam will host this celebration of love, inclusivity, and activism, bringing together LGBTQIA+ communities from around the world.