How WeHo Pride 2026 shined a fabulous spotlight on the Dolls
OUTLOUD 2026 featured a slate of LGBTQ+ and ally performers, most notably The Pussycat Dolls, who reunited for the first time in 17 years.
Mark
At this year’s OUTLOUD music festival, the Dolls took center stage in every definition of the word. Hosted in West Hollywood Park over the first weekend in June, this celebration of WeHo Pride featured a slate of LGBTQ+ and ally performers, most notably The Pussycat Dolls, who reunited for the first time in 17 years.
“This is a dream come true for us,” gushed Pussycat Dolls’ Nichole Scherzinger on OUTLOUD’s main stage Saturday night. “I live five minutes up the street. I heard you partying last night. Every year it sounds like a concert in my living room, so it is an honor for us to be standing on this stage right now in front of you and headlining our very first WeHo Pride.”
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“I’m so proud to be on stage with my girls Nicole and Ashley,” continued Kimberly Wyatt. “I had a coming-of-age story here in West Hollywood because of all of you. Being able to let my hair down, feel free enough to do my slut drops, to do that hairography, because of y’all.”
But the girls of PCD weren’t the only dolls to sparkle in the limelight this year. Saturday’s “Doll Day” served as a showcase for trans talent, including OUTLOUD’s host, Arisce Wanzer. Arisce kiki’ed about how West Hollywood’s Pride festival is distinctly different than those of other major cities.
“It’s more of a music festival. It’s like “Pride-chella,” Arisce explained. “It’s a party first. There’s something for everyone, something for every taste, and it really is a celebration of queerness.”
Admittedly, in 2016, when what was then known as LA Pride transitioned into a music festival, the change was met with mixed reactions. (This move would eventually create a schism between LA Pride producers Christopher Street West and the City of West Hollywood in 2020, resulting in two separate Pride events hosted on back-to-back weekends.) But this evolution into a music-focused event reflects the city’s status as the epicenter of the entertainment industry. OUTLOUD has not only attracted A-list performers over the years, such as Lizzo and Kim Petras, but has also created historic concert moments. In addition to reuniting the Pussycat Dolls this year, in 2024 headliner Kesha marked her long-awaited return to music (following her extended legal battle with the nefarious Dr. Luke) on OUTLOUD’s main stage.
OUTLOUD music festival also reflects the distinct personality of LA’s queer community that has permeated its Pride celebrations since its inception in 1970. While the cities of New York and San Francisco wanted to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with sombre protest marches, the gays of Los Angeles wanted to produce a more joyful celebration, resulting in the world’s first Pride Parade.
And while WeHo Pride continues this legacy of queer mirth, it also embraces its culture’s activist roots with a merchandise collaboration with Little Mix alum Jade, who closed out the festival Sunday night.
“We also have the Jade doll shirts,” said Arisce. “100% of the proceeds go to the Trans Wellness Center. We’re doing the real work because all the money is going to the Center. It’s going to the betterment of trans people.”
Perhaps OUTLOUD’s support of the trans community can best be summed up in the words of PCD’s Ashley Roberts.
“We see you, we love you, you matter,” Roberts proclaimed on stage. “Queer rights are human. Protect the motherf***ing dolls!”
For those of you who missed the revelry, photographer Liam Koji captured some of our favorite moments from OUTLOUD 2026.
Photography by Liam Koji
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