The hashtag for the LA Pride Festival was #JustBe, but at times over the weekend it felt like it could have been #AlmostWasnt.
A monstrous, exuberant and delightfully diverse crowd packed West Hollywood Park for two days of music, comedy, pageantry and, as it tuned out, misadventures. There were standout sets from Kehlani, Tove Lo, Iona Pop, Superfruit and Lauren Ruth Ward, but sound problems fouled the proceedings several times and, even worse, the festival was oversold. When it reached capacity, some fans holding tickets were turned away.
Kehlani had planned a whole new set especially for Pride and decided to redo her entrance because “it’s that good.” Throughout her set, though, she still could not hear herself and told the crowd “I don’t know what I sound like, sorry if I am completely off.” More frustrated towards the end of her set, she said “This is unacceptable.”
Audio problems sabotaged and/or truncated Saturday sets from Jesse Saint John, Kim Petras and Superfruit. The overcrowding was even worse on Sunday, with a long line and fire marshals and police outside advising everyone who was not already inside the festival to go home.
A highlight, though, for those who got in happened before Eve hit the stage on Sunday– Christina Aguilera got up and sang two verses to a remix of her recent single “Accelerate.” On both nights, the energy stayed high during Eve and Tove Lo’s closing sets. In the end, LA Pride Festival 2018 was #WorthIt.