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Colombian pop superstar Shakira has canceled her much-awaited headline appearance at the WorldPride 2025 Welcome Concert in Washington, D.C., citing logistical issues from a postponed engagement earlier this week in Boston. The concert was supposed to start the celebrations for the biggest LGBTQ+ festival in the world and was set for Saturday night at Nationals Park.
The postponement was confirmed in a statement released by Nationals Park on Friday afternoon. The Capital Pride Alliance released a statement on Friday, saying:
“We are deeply disappointed that unforeseen circumstances have forced the cancellation. Updates about the relocated Opening Ceremony program will be released as soon as they are finalized!”
The statement continued:
“Due to complications with the previous show in Boston, Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance at Nationals Park. Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”
Hours before the show began, Shakira’s May 29 performance at Fenway Park in Boston was canceled when city inspectors found structural problems with the stage construction. In addition to canceling the concert that evening, the safety issue caused logistical problems for the singer’s upcoming Las Mujeres Ya No Llorona tour dates.
The 48-year-old hitmaker of "Hips Don't Lie" expressed grief at the abrupt turn of events in an emotional message posted on Friday.
Shakira stated:
"Because of the unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances that affected me and other artists in Boston, my full tour production is not able to be moved to Washington, DC in time for my scheduled performance on Saturday."
She continued:
"I have been counting the days, excited to be reunited with my fans in both Washington and Boston. I promise that I will do everything in my power to be with you as soon I can."
She also thanked her supporters.
Automatic refunds will be given to fans who bought tickets via Ticketmaster or the Nationals’ official website. It is recommended that people who purchased tickets from third-party dealers get in touch with them directly.
The rescheduling has not been confirmed by the organizers of World Pride and Nationals Park.
Shakira’s absence casts shadow over WorldPride festivities
Shakira’s performance was supposed to be the big highlight of WorldPride’s first weekend, which is anticipated to attract two to three million people to the country’s capital.
The event’s organizer, the Capital Pride Alliance, reassured guests that the celebration would continue in spite of the setback.
The World Pride organization said:
“We are deeply disappointed that unforeseen circumstances have forced the cancellation. Updates about the relocated Opening Ceremony program will be released as soon as they are finalized!”
As of this writing, no replacement headliner has been announced, although the revised opening ceremony will still take place.
Fans are upset over the abrupt cancellation, particularly those who came to D.C. especially to see the concert.
A user commented: “This tour is such a mess”
While another commented: “live nation sucks so bad and ppl need to start realizing. i wish they didn’t own like so many venues.”
A third user added: “This is just disrespectful to her fans… last minute every time.”
Broader Tour Implications:
Shakira’s U.S. tour schedule has been impacted by this incident. Other events at Fenway Park, like Boston performances by country music artists Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn, were also canceled in addition to her own gigs. The tour’s promoter, Live Nation, said that during a usual pre-show safety check in Boston, the structural elements were found to be faulty and subpar. They said in a statement,
"Structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe,"
Although there is currently no information on the rescheduling of any of the cancelled gigs, Shakira is still set to perform on June 2 in Atlanta.
In addition to Shakira’s withdrawal, WorldPride 2025 has been marred by political controversy. Prior to this, organizers expressed worries about dwindling foreign attendance, pointing to criticism of President Donald Trump’s LGBTQ+ related policies.
LGBTQ people who want to attend the event in the United States have received travel advisories from international organizations, including Eagle Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition.
Local involvement is apparently increasing in spite of this. Elliot Ferguson, president of Destination D.C., stated:
“What we’re seeing now is a surge at the last minute, especially with the national community.”
Shakira’s absence at the WorldPride is a disappointment, but the WorldPride is expected to be a banger.
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