As WorldPride attracts nearer, Washington, D.C. is on the point of have a good time on a number of ranges. One main occasion is the Dreamland WorldPride Music Pageant, to be held at RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St., N.E.) from June 6-7, 2025. This music pageant will function the centerpiece of the town’s WorldPride celebration, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of D.C. Satisfaction.
Native digital dance music occasion promoter Membership Glow is placing on the present, bringing in celebrated producer Jake Resnicow, to create an enormous pageant. Underneath the path of Resnicow and Membership Glow, the pageant will function a various, yet-to-be-named lineup that includes pop superstars, reside performers, DJs, and loads of native expertise. The pageant goals to showcase the colourful spectrum of LGBTQ tradition, with musical genres starting from disco to nation, bringing collectively performers from a variety of backgrounds who resonate with Capital Satisfaction’s values and with the attendees.
The Washington Blade carried out an unique interview with Jake Resnicow concerning the pageant. The interview has been barely condensed for readability.
BLADE: What’s your background and position within the nightlife scene?
RESNICOW: I’ve at all times been obsessed with creating areas the place folks can specific themselves freely. My journey into reside occasions started in 2010 with a Satisfaction occasion on Governors Island. It was a transformative expertise that confirmed me the ability of reside occasions to convey pleasure and construct group. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of manufacturing occasions like WorldPride on the Javits Middle, the place we raised over $500,000 for LGBTQ+ charities, in addition to the first-ever Satisfaction in Central Park. These occasions have been about extra than simply leisure; they goal to assist and uplift the LGBTQ+ group.
BLADE: How did you get entangled within the WorldPride Pageant with Capital Satisfaction?
RESNICOW: After producing a number of Satisfaction festivals and witnessing their impression, the chance to convey this power to the most important stage looks like a fruits of a long-held imaginative and prescient. I’m actually honored to collaborate with Pete Kalamoutsos, Heather Church, and Matt Cronin — the driving power behind Challenge GLOW. Pete has been a pacesetter within the dance music scene for over 25 years. He, Heather, and Matt haven’t solely formed the East Coast’s digital music panorama however have additionally proven unwavering assist for the LGBTQ+ group. Their dedication to elevating dance tradition, particularly by Challenge GLOW, is outstanding. Past the music, the group has included community-focused initiatives, equivalent to highlighting Washington, D.C.’s LGBTQIA+ group by devoted levels and collaborating with native charities like Sasha Bruce Youthwork. Working with Pete, Heather, and Matt is like becoming a member of a dream group — they’ve an unbelievable imaginative and prescient and are obsessed with making a distinction. Collectively, we goal to create a historic WorldPride 2025 Music Pageant that resonates with attendees and leaves an enduring legacy.
BLADE: What does this occasion imply to the LGBTQ nightlife group?
RESNICOW: WorldPride 2025 is greater than only a music pageant; it’s an area for celebration, reflection, and visibility. For the LGBTQ nightlife group, it’s a chance to return collectively, have a good time our identities, and amplify voices which were traditionally marginalized. In a world the place lower than 1% of charting artists establish as LGBTQIA+, this pageant is a platform to vary that narrative. I’m notably proud to serve on the board of Femme Home, the place we work to handle this underrepresentation by offering assets and alternatives for queer musicians to thrive. This pageant symbolizes a secure, inclusive setting the place everybody feels seen, heard, and celebrated.
BLADE: What is going to the pageant entail?
RESNICOW: The pageant will supply a multi-day expertise stuffed with music, artwork, and group engagement. Attendees can count on a mix of reside performances, immersive activations, artwork installations, and wellness zones. To me, queer leisure has advanced past nightlife; it’s now a cultural motion that intertwines artwork, music, trend, and activism. This evolution has formed how I strategy my occasions, pushing me to create areas that aren’t simply secure and inclusive but in addition problem and redefine what reside leisure will be. WorldPride 2025 is about creating one thing bigger than a single occasion; it’s about fostering a motion that celebrates the total spectrum of the LGBTQ+ group. We goal to supply areas for connection, self-expression, and reflection, incorporating parts that give again to the group and assist causes that matter most to us.
BLADE: What are some parts and activations which can be a part of the pageant?
RESNICOW: Past the music, there will likely be a wide range of interactive experiences and areas that commemorate LGBTQ+ tradition. This consists of artwork installations, wellness zones, academic areas, and areas for group organizations to interact with festival-goers. Our aim is to create a holistic expertise that goes past the standard pageant setup, providing attendees a spot to attach, be taught, and have a good time in numerous methods.
BLADE: How do WorldPride and the pageant hook up with the D.C. group?
RESNICOW: Washington, D.C. has a wealthy historical past of LGBTQ+ activism and tradition, and this pageant holds private significance for me. Having attended Georgetown College, I really feel a deep connection to this group and its legacy. WorldPride 2025 is my approach of giving again, aiming to create a pageant that resonates on a deeply private degree for all of us. I wish to create a musical expertise that the group will bear in mind, one which celebrates our progress and conjures up us for years to return. This occasion is designed to go away an enduring impression, not simply as a pageant however as a second of unity and satisfaction.
A core side of WorldPride 2025 is its dedication to giving again. The pageant will assist the nonprofit Capital Satisfaction Alliance, which serves the wants of the LGBTQ+ group year-round. We’re constructing on the legacy of our earlier occasions, the place we raised substantial funds for LGBTQ+ causes. This isn’t nearly a single weekend of celebration; it’s about creating lasting change. Moreover, primarily based on the overwhelming presale response, we’re on monitor to doubtlessly set a brand new world report for the most important Satisfaction pageant ever. This displays not solely the thrill for the occasion but in addition the power and unity of our group. We’re striving to make the pageant a historic second that has a significant, constructive impression on each the native D.C. group and the LGBTQ+ group at massive.
