The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh has announced that Walk the Moon and Toni Braxton will headline the Pride Rocks PGH concerts for Pittsburgh Pride 2019 in June.
Walk the Moon will perform on Friday, June 7, followed by Toni Braxton on Saturday, June 8. It will be the first time either act has ever performed at a Pride event. Tickets are on sale now at PittsburghPride.org/Tickets or at 888-45-TICKETS.
The event location is shifting to the Andy Warhol Bridge and Fort Duquesne Boulevard.
“Several weeks ago the city brought some concerns to us about safety, security, traffic, bus detours, as well as our growing attendance and asked that we consider a new location,” Gary A. Van Horn Jr., president of the Delta Foundation, said in a statement. “We quickly went to work and thanks to both our City and County partners, especially County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Pride will be held on the Andy Warhol Bridge, pending final approval, and will extend onto Ft. Duquesne Blvd. between 7th & 9th Streets which also includes Ft. Duquesne Park.”
Braxton, a seven-time Grammy winner who has sold more than 67 million records, said in a statement, “It’s very easy to emulate Toni Braxton on both sides. Over the years I think that might be one of the reasons my LGBTQ fans have connected with me. I am who I am. I’m an androgynous artist and I’m comfortable in my own skin.”
She will be joined by Rina Sawayama, a Japanese-British singer/songwriter and model who identifies as pansexual.
Other highlights during Pride weekend include:
-— PrideFest (Saturday, June 8 from noon-6 p.m. and Sunday, June 9 from 1-7 p.m.) a free event with continuous entertainment on the Pennsylvania Lottery Stage at Ft. Duquesne Blvd. & 9th Street and on the stage on the North Side end of the Andy Warhol Bridge at Isabella Street. There will be 175 vendor booths, food, a children’s activity area, pet area, and the Mylan Wellness Village. Performers include folk rock artist and trans woman Namoli Brennet; Lena Jackson, a writer, rapper and poet from North Carolina; Bridge 19, a band from Louisville; Brave and Crazy, an all-female Melissa Etheridge tribute band; electric pop musician Joey Suarez; Melissa Otera, a Latin/pop singer from New York City; Princex, an eclectic Pittsburgh performer; and EDM artist Billy Winn.
-— The Equality March (Sunday, June 9 at 12:30 p.m.) starts at the Boulevard of the Allies and Grant Street and features non-profit community partners, businesses, companies, first responders, law enforcement personnel, and politicians.
-— The Pride Dance Party (Sunday, June 9 from 7-10 p.m.), a new and free event, will feature DJ and Grammy-nominated record producer and remixer Tony Moran.
First Published: April 9, 2019, 2:49 p.m.
