While Pride Month was born out of a series of protests for equality for the LGBTQ+ community, the annual commemoration has since grown to become the largest celebration of the community in 2024. And part of that celebration includes a series of music festivals.
In 2024, artists have showed up to support and celebrate queer and trans people for Pride Month through a series of festivals and performances across the globe. For WeHo Pride’s kickoff concerts, artists including Kylie Minouge, Janelle Monáe, Diplo, Kesha, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Adam Lambert took to the stage at OUTLOUD Music Festival. Los Angeles’ pride festival, meanwhile, featured performances from Ricky Martin, MUNA, JoJo Siwa and Tokischa.
Speaking to Billboard about her Pride performances, Ellis-Bextor summed up why these shows were important to her, and to the community at large. “It’s a very inclusive, supportive, warm audience,” she said. “I know we talk a lot about being your authentic self to the point where we kind of don’t think about what that means. But actually, being able to feel comfortable in your own skin is one of the biggest things you can do for someone … I think the fact you get that in a very pure form at events like Pride is just a really joyous thing.”
Outside of California, cities such as Chicago, New York, London, São Paolo and New Orleans are set to ring in Pride Month with concerts of their own, featuring artists including Tinashe, Christine and the Queens, Slayyyter, Shea Couleé, Pattie Gonia and plenty of others.
Below, Billboard has compiled some of the best photos taken of artists during Pride Month 2024. Take a look:
