What started with the Stonewall Riots in 1969 in New York City, has now become an international movement, with lively parades, concerts, and bustling protests and parties all around the city. But if you’re looking for a more intimate way to celebrate Pride in LA this year, the Candlelight concert series is paying tribute to legendary queer musical icons that have paved the way for LGBTQIA+ community rights.
From Elton John and Frank Ocean to Kim Petras and Tchaikovsky, they’ve pushed boundaries and broken barriers and on Thursday 8 June, you can expect to hear classical renditions of their chart-topping hits and iconic compositions, including “Unholy”, “Your Song”, and Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act IV: No. 29, Finale. Take a seat at Skirball Cultural Center and celebrate Pride through the Candlelight lens, with its signature sea of flickering candles.
Candlelight Pride: Celebrating Queer Musical Icons
They have broken barriers, embraced life as open queer icons, and celebrated and supported the community. They are a reminder for us to be unapologetically ourselves and this Pride Month, Candlelight is taking over Skirball Cultural Center to celebrate their contribution to music and the community.
Apart from selling over 300 million records, Elton John has raised over $200 million for the fight against AIDS. Kim Petras continuously offers support of the trans community and LGBT community centers across the stage. They’ve written hits and created safe and inclusive spaces of self-expression. Following their footsteps, why blend in, when you can listen to hits like “Unholy”, “Pynk” and “Thinking Bout You” reimagined by the talented Orchid Quartet in a one-of-a-kind immersive musical experience.
Candlelight at the Skirball Cultural Center
The Skirball Cultural Center is a Jewish institution in LA open to the public since 1996, offering cultural experiences for all communities. The fifteen-acre campus, located at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, was designed by Moshe Safdie, and consists of buildings topped by stainless steel vaulted roofs and a Mediterranean landscape, imagined to reflect the marriage of nature and culture. The Skirball Cultural Center offers exhibitions, classes and cultural events, and on June 8, it will be bathed in the glow of Candlelight.
Over 50 years after the first Pride Parade, LA is celebrating Pride with a unique and intimate Candlelight concert, paying tribute to queer musical icons. We’re here, we’re queer, and on 8 June, we’re going to the Skirkball Cultural Center to listen to classical renditions of artists in the likes of Elton John, Brandi Carlisle, Janelle Monae and Kim Petras. There are two 65-minute performances scheduled, one at 6:30 pm and the other at 9pm, so choose whichever fits your schedule best and let yourself be enchanted by the magic of Candlelight.
Note: For the safety of our audience, all of the candlelight will be provided through flameless candles.