New York City is the place to be this summer when people across the country gather together for the WorldPride Opening Ceremony to honor the world’s LGBTQIA+ community. The legendary Cyndi Lauper has been added to the special day’s lineup.
WorldPride will kick-off on Friday, June 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Lauper is the first confirmed artist in the yet-to-be-announced list of performers, along with R&B star Ciara. This is the first time WorldPride will take place in the U.S. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots – a series of violent acts LGBTQ youth endured in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the WorldPride Opening Ceremony,” Lauper said in a statement following the announcement. “I can’t wait to celebrate with my LGBTQIA+ friends and family from across the world.”
EGOT winner and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is slated to host the event. She noted in a statement that she is honored to host a WorldPride event and is “delighted” to be a part of the Opening Ceremony this June.
“I’ve been a longtime advocate of the LGBTQIA+ community and this year marks a pivotal moment within our storied history and fight for equality,” Goldberg said.
NYC Pride will span the entire month of June, kicking-off events with the annual free NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 2 – the largest Pride celebration in the world. Last year’s march, which brought in over 550 contingents, included over 100 floats and was one of the largest marches in history.
The month of June will include a variety of rallies, parties, and lectures, including the global dialogue Human Rights Conference, the culinary experience Savor Pride, the teen event Youth Pride, the women rooftop party Femme Fatale, and ice hockey tournament Chelsea Challenge 2019.
For the full list of NYC Pride events and tickets, visit NYCPride.com.
