TOMORROW will be the first day of June, which also signifies the beginning of the colorful Pride month.
Several activities await members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the country, and one of them is the upcoming Pride PH Festival.
Pride PH, a non-profit organization that advocates for human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion, announced that it will bring back the festival this year titled “LoveLaban 2 Everyone.” This is in collaboration with the Quezon City government and the Quezon City Gender and Development Council.
The event will be held on June 22 at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
Many queer folks and allies expressed their excitement for the pride festival, which will see performances from some of the biggest and rising stars.
On Thursday, May 30, Pride PH revealed the first wave of performers which included P-pop groups BINI, G22, VXON, and Yes My Love (YML).
Formed through ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy, BINI, also known as The Nation’s Girl Group, has eight members: Jhoanna, Colet, Maloi, Stacey, Aiah, Gwen, Mikha and Sheena. BINI debuted in 2021 with the single “Born To Win” and has since been making waves in the music industry with their chart-topping songs “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” which are both included in their latest extended play (EP) “Talaarawan.”
G22–composed of AJ, Alfea and Jaz–is another P-pop girl group that has been turning heads with their top-tier vocals and dance skills. They debuted under Cornerstone Entertainment in 2022, with their single “BANG.” G22 recently released their song “One Sided Love,” where the trio narrated how they earned the moniker “Female Alphas of Philippine Pop.” This was followed by their newest single “I Hate Boys,” which was released on May 10.
Meanwhile, VXON, also known as The Monsters of Philippine Pop, is a five-member group composed of C13, Franz, Patrick, Vince and Sam. Managed by Cornerstone Entertainment, the boy group debuted in 2022 with their single “The Beast.” VXON conquered the music industry in January 2024 with the release of their first-ever album “20:20,” which included songs “SSP (Saksak Sa Puso)” and “KNT (Kanta Ng Tanga).”
Another P-pop group under Cornerstone Entertainment is Yes My Love, which officially entered the music scene in 2023 with their debut single “Rhythm.” The rising P-pop boy group–composed of Joshua, Brian, Niko, Jeff and RZ–is known for their impeccable vocals that earned them the moniker “Vocal heartstoppers of P-pop.”
More OPM artists
The four P-pop groups will be joined by more OPM artists including “ERE” singer Juan Karlos, “Mahika” singer Janine Berdin, “Rosas” singer Nica del Rosario, “Paborito” singer Justine Peña, “Balikat” singer Matthew Chang, and “Tawag Ng Tanghalan” talent Raven Heyres. LesQrew will also showcase their dancing skills in the event.
“It’s Showtime” host Vice Ganda and “High Street” actor Elijah Canlas will also grace the “LoveLaban 2 Everyone” festival.
Of course, the pride event won’t be complete without drag queens Marina Summers, NAIA, Deja, Russia Fox, M1ss Jade So, Feyvah Fatale, Barbie Q, Astrid Mercury, OV Cünt, Tiny Deluxe, Lady Gagita, Hana Beshie, Matilduh, Mrs. Tan, Viñas Deluxe, and Bernie.
Hosts
The festival will be hosted by content creators Sassa Gurl, Yani, Pipay and Christian Antolin, theater actors Adrian Lindayag and Alex Diaz, and Miss Grand International 2016 first runner-up Nicole Cordoves.
In June 2023, the Pride PH Festival became the biggest pride event in Southeast Asia, with over 110,000 attendees.
The organizers aim to hold another historic event as they encourage the public to wear their pride colors and march at the “LoveLaban 2 Everyone” festival with their fellow LGBTQIA+ members and allies.
