Music icon Patti LaBelle to be honored during Philadelphia's 2026 Pride festival
Music icon Patti LaBelle will be honored at Philadelphia's 2026 Pride celebration on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway next month.
The Philadelphia native will be celebrated as part of a multi-generational tribute recognizing her musical legacy and impact on the LGBTQIA+ culture, Philly Pride 365 said Tuesday in a news release.
Organizers say a group of artists, including Laurin Talese, Lady Alma, Carol Riddick, Carla Gamble, Jakeya Limitless and Jess Haya, will honor LaBelle during the Pride on the Parkway festival on Sunday, June 7.
LaBelle celebrated her 82nd birthday Sunday and told CBS Mornings that she will be "singing until I can't no more."
The "Godmother of Soul" has been singing for six decades, earning hit records and Grammys — and she said Sunday she knows exactly who she is.
"I love it. I should be called, 'Legend, legend, legend, legend.' Yes. I love it," LaBelle said. "I have earned it. Yes, I have."
The city's Pride festival is relocating to the Parkway to accommodate increasing attendance.
Pride on the Parkway will begin in the Gayborhood with the Pride March at 11 a.m. and then pick up from noon to 7 p.m. on the Ben Franklin Parkway, from 21st and the Parkway up to the Art Museum. Festival entry is also at 24th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The festival will include three stages of live entertainment, LGBTQIA+ vendors and makers, food trucks, beer gardens, wellness activities and other family-friendly events, according to a news release.
Organizers say some of the performances include Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, Lisa Lisa, Miriam Hyman as RobynHood and Sug Daniels, Fitch Means and Jacqueline Constance.
A $10 ticket will be required to attend the festival, but the march will remain free, organizers say. They say attendees will have to redeem a ticket QR code for a wristband, which will be available for pickup on the day of the event and at other locations prior to the event.
Tickets are available for purchase online.
