West Hollywood showed up and showed out Friday, and nobody was thinking about Kathy Hilton — not with this much fire, fun, and fab. WeHo Pride Day 1 was giving everything it was supposed to give.
Unless you were under a rock, you know was a bit of a rough week with the Kathy Hilton dramaz. But gurrrl, if the queer community knows anything — it’s how to move forward and get their asses to the party. That’s exactly what they did. 
Your first clue the party was on: West Hollywood Park was packed and stacked for the opening night of WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD — a free concert that clearly nobody was skipping. The Summer Tramp stage was going — mirror balls, massive LED production, and a crowd that showed up ready.
Registration closed before the show even started. The event hit maximum capacity.
Ava Max headlined. The bill also included Jess Glynne, Maude Latour, Cakes da Killa, DARUMAS, Hannah Rad, and a Drag King Showcase with King Molasses, Tenderoni, and Dick Von Dyke.
Ava Max delivered. Jess Glynne did too. OUTLOUD founder Jeff Consoletti was watching. “There is no crowd in the world like the WeHo crowd, and last night they showed up with everything they had,” Consoletti told WEHOonline Saturday.
The crowd was loud and into it from the jump. Consoletti said it was one of those nights you don’t forget. “Watching the sold-out show with Maude Latour, Jess Glynne, and Ava Max on that stage, performing for our community in West Hollywood Park, was one of those moments where you just stop and take it in,” he said.
Mayor John Heilman said earlier in the week that West Hollywood was built for exactly this. “West Hollywood has long stood at the forefront of LGBTQ+ visibility and celebration, and WeHo Pride reflects the heart of our community,” Heilman said. “Welcoming the OUTLOUD Music Festival back to West Hollywood Park, with a global lineup, reinforces our City’s role as an international destination for Pride.”
Consoletti put it simply. “There is truly no community like ours,” he told WEHOonline. “Night 1 was only the beginning.”
If Friday night was any indication, WeHo Pride 2026 is shaping up to be one for the books.
The free WeHo Pride Street Fair kicks off Saturday and runs through Sunday along Santa Monica Boulevard, noon to 8 p.m., with vendors, food, community organizations, and two live stages. A ferris wheel is part of the fun. CHANNEL Q — the national LGBTQ+ radio and podcast network — will host their signature DJ truck dance party until 8 p.m. Free acts on the Rainbow Stage and Celebration Stage include Meg Stalter, Willa Ford, Cailin Russo, and Elio.
The weekend runs through Sunday with the Dyke March, Women’s Freedom Festival, street fair, and the WeHo Pride Parade. The Pussycat Dolls, JADE, and Ashlee Simpson are still to come on the OUTLOUD main stage.
Most gays just want an excuse to party. I am curious was it Jeff Consoletti behind choosing Kathy Hilton? Or was that city council’s choice?