Perfume Genius to Perform at WorldPride DC 2025

29 May 2025

Perfume Genius. (Cody Critcheloe)

Indie rocker Mike Hadreas, better known by his stage name Perfume Genius, is set to headline a special performance at the renowned 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2025. This highly anticipated concert is part of the extensive lineup for WorldPride DC 2025, an international celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, culture, and activism.

Hadreas's performance comes shortly after the release of his seventh studio album, Glory, which debuted in March 2025. The album explores deeply personal and often heavy themes such as isolation, anxiety, vulnerability, and mortality. These topics have taken on increased weight during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, a period in which many people, including Hadreas himself, faced heightened mental health challenges.

In interviews, Hadreas has described the creation of Glory as a therapeutic process a kind of "exposure therapy" where confronting his fears and insecurities through songwriting and performing helped him cope with his anxiety and feelings of loneliness. Unlike earlier in his career, when much of his music was a solitary endeavor, Glory features significant collaboration with his longtime partner and multi-instrumentalist Alan Wyffels. This shift toward a more communal creative process marks an important evolution for Hadreas, emphasizing connection and shared experience both in the studio and on stage.

Live performances have become an essential part of Hadreas’s healing journey. While he has historically struggled with social anxiety and a tendency to withdraw, playing concerts allows him to break through those barriers, creating moments of intimacy and collective vulnerability with audiences. His show at WorldPride DC promises to be a powerful experience, combining the emotional depth of his music with the celebratory spirit of the festival.

WorldPride DC 2025 features a star-studded roster of performers and events, celebrating queer identities and resilience through art, music, and activism. Alongside Perfume Genius, the festival’s lineup includes major names like Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Janelle Monáe, and many others, drawing thousands of attendees from around the world.

Tickets for Perfume Genius’s WorldPride performance are available at 930.com for $41. Fans and newcomers alike can look forward to an unforgettable night that not only showcases Hadreas’s distinctive voice and artistry but also highlights the power of music as a source of healing, community, and hope.

As WorldPride continues to grow as a global celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, Hadreas’s involvement underscores the important role that artists play in fostering dialogue about mental health and the human experience. The 9:30 Club show is more than just a concert; it's an invitation to share in a collective moment of vulnerability, strength, and joy.