Summer has arrived at long last: Memorial Day has passed, New York’s humidity has surpassed 70% and the whole city is dining al fresco. As if this season wasn’t already chock full of experiential opportunities, June is also Pride Month, meaning everywhere from the biggest cities to the quaintest towns (including Seward, AK, Charleston, WV and Paducah, KY) will be decked out with rainbows, drag queens and parades.
Keep reading for experiential inspiration from the biggest happenings this month — and check out how XP Land XLISTERS are involved in everything from NYC Pride to the inaugural No Values Festival.
PRIDE FESTIVITIES
Provincetown Pride: June 1; Provincetown, MA
For over 50 years, Provincetown — located on the northern tip of Cape Cod — has been celebrated as an LGBTQ-friendly haven. The town, aka P-town, is renowned for its vibrant gay bars, beautiful beaches and year-round Pride events. The annual Pride Rally and “Sashay” to Tea dance kicked off a month of events on June 1. Additionally, the Provincetown Business Guild is collaborating with Obodo, a Nigerian youth-led nonprofit, for Reimagining Queer Africa, a public art exhibition all month long.
LA Pride: June 8; LA
It all kicks off June 8 with Pride in the Park, with Ricky Martin headlining, plus additional sets from MUNA, Tokischa, JoJo Siwa and the cast of We’re Here, including Sasha Velour, Latrice Royale, Jaida Essence Hall and Priyanka. The party keeps rolling on June 9 with the dazzling Pride Parade down Hollywood Blvd, complete with a block party bursting with live music and food trucks. Then there’s the colorful LGBTQ+ Night at Dodger Stadium and late-night Pride hours at Universal Studios on June 15.
Washington DC Pride: June 8; Washington DC
In the nation’s capital, pride runs deep with its rich history and the ever-active Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance. On June 8, the Capital Pride Parade will take participants through the city’s historic streets, leading to the lively 17th Street Block Party in Dupont Circle. The celebration continues on June 9 with the Capital Pride Festival and Concert, featuring three stages of performances including Ava Max, Billy Porter and Keke Palmer.
San Francisco Pride: June 29-30; San Francisco
San Francisco Pride is legendary, with one of the country’s biggest and boldest Pride parades set for June 30. The city will be buzzing during the full, two-day extravaganza, packed with stages and venues showcasing live entertainment. The party started with the Purple Pride Block Party on June 1 and continues with the SF Pride Kickoff Party on June 7 and the Pride Day celebration at Oracle Park on June 15.
NYC Pride: June 30; NYC
The city celebrates Pride all month with epic events at the Queens Night Market and Pride Nights at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. The grand finale on June 30th features the annual PrideFest street fair, the iconic Pride March — from NYC Pride’s Director of Events & Entertainment and XLISTER Samantha Marie Johnson — and Bliss Days, celebrating LGBTQIA+ womxn. And this year’s Pride is extra special, honoring the 40th anniversary of Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit organization that plans and produces New York City’s official Pride events each year, and the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
AWARDS
Tony Awards: June 16; NYC
The 77th annual Tony Awards will be held at Lincoln Center and air on CBS, with Ariana DeBose hosting for the third year in a row. Ariana, who earned an Emmy nomination for her unscripted hosting amid the Hollywood writers’ strike last year, will also produce and choreograph the opening number. Hell’s Kitchen and Stereophonic earned the most nods this year, with notable nominees including Daniel Radcliffe, Leslie Odom Jr., Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Jeremy Strong and Alicia Keys.
CONFERENCES
World Experience Summit: June 12-14; NYC
From the experiential minds at WXO, the World Experience Summit offers a unique chance to engage with top experience designers, producers, professors, operators and investors shaping the future of experiences. Attendees will voyage to the infamous House of Yes in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood for workshops on designing, operating and promoting successful experiences. The summit will feature TED-style talks on the Experience Economy and, of course, immersive experiences across the city.
XP Land’s founder, Erica Boeke, will take the stage for Experience Shark Tank on Friday, June 14. Alongside the CEO of Non Plus Ultra, Lou Pizante, President of Blumenthal Arts, Tom Gabbard and COO of AREA15 (and XLIST council member) Dan Pelson, experiential pros will have the chance to pitch their experience idea to the panel of sharks.
FASHION
Vogue World Paris: June 23; Paris
Hitting the iconic Place Vendôme, this year’s Vogue World will celebrate 100 years of fashion and sports, featuring French designers and collaborations with youth athletic academies. Part of the proceeds will support Secours Populaire, a humanitarian organization dedicated to granting individuals in low-income households the opportunity to attend this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. The worldwide event will broadcast live and mark the kick-off of Haute Couture Week.
Haute Couture Week: June 24-27; Paris
Thanks to the Olympics’ late July kickoff, Paris Haute Couture Week had to move up its dates this year. The fall/winter 2024-2025 fashion week will include runway shows, presentations, pop-ups and other events around the world’s most fashionable city from designers including Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga and Fendi.
FESTIVALS
Tribeca Film Festival: June 5-16; NYC
The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival promises a rich lineup with 13,000 submissions from 50 countries, including shorts, TV shows and full-length films. This year, the festival will feature 110 movies, with 96 premieres and projects from notable names like Martin Scorsese, Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara, emphasizing works directed by women. Attendees can expect insights into Diane von Furstenberg’s life and special appearances by stars such as George Clooney, Dolly Parton and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The festival will include a special sub-program called “De Niro Con” to celebrate co-founder Robert De Niro’s cinematic accomplishments. Highlights include the immersive exhibit “De Niro Is An Icon” at Spring Studios, showcasing over 300 items from his archives and the world premiere of “A Bronx Tale, The Original One Man Show” on June 13.
No Values Festival: June 8; Pomona, CA
The President and CEO of Goldenvoice and XLISTER, Paul Tollett, has launched a new genre-specific festival called No Values, dedicated to punk music. The inaugural No Values Festival will take place on June 8 at the Pomona Fairplex, headlined by Misfits and Social Distortion, and featuring a mix of classic acts and new talent, including Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Bad Religion and the reunited Dillinger Escape Plan. The lineup also includes a ska section and notable performances from Power Trip with new singer Seth Gilmore and Sublime with new singer Jakob Nowell.
Aspen Ideas Festival: June 23-29; Aspen, CO
The Aspen Ideas Festival’s 20th edition, “Bright Minds for Dark Times,” will be guest-curated by editor and journalist Tina Brown. Over 300 speakers, including Jane Fonda, Bill Maher, Kara Swisher and Katie Couric, will participate in discussions on various topics across the Aspen Meadows campus and town venues, with the final agenda released in mid-June. The festival continues its partnership with NBCUniversal News Group, whose journalists will moderate panels, interviews, lectures and interactive sessions covering topics like the 2024 election, business, art, geopolitics and more.
Glastonbury Festival: June 26-30; Somerset, UK
Even though Glastonbury tickets are sold out, the BBC will provide an unprecedented six weeks of build-up and coverage of the event across TV, iPlayer, radio and BBC Sounds. Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA were announced as the headliners in March with Shania Twain playing the legends slot plus LCD Soundsystem, Burna Boy and Cyndi Lauper. Big crowds are expected this year after approximately 210,000 fans attended last year’s festival, breaking the previous attendance record of 153,000 in 2002.
SPORTS
US Open: June 13-16; Pinehurst, NC
The 2024 US Open Golf Championship will be held at Pinehurst No. 2 with 156 players competing. This marks the fourth time the historic Donald Ross course hosts the championship, with previous winners including Payne Stewart, Michael Campbell and Martin Kaymer. The field includes 84 fully exempt players led by defending champion Wyndham Clark, with the remaining spots determined through local and final qualifying rounds. Pinehurst has also been designated to host future US Opens in 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.
Field of Dreams Game 2024: June 20; Birmingham, AL
Back in 2021, Major League Baseball’s Vice President of Global Events & Game Presentation and XLISTER Brian O’Gara brought the long-awaited Field of Dreams game to reality. This year, it will be held at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, featuring the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. There is no Iowa game scheduled, reportedly due to an $80 million construction project at the film location’s field. But the Rickwood Field event will honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and Willie Mays, who played there as a teenager with the Birmingham Black Barons. The festival also includes a Minor League game between the Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits on June 18.
NHL Draft at the Sphere Las Vegas: June 28-29; Las Vegas
The 2024 NHL Draft will be held at the Las Vegas Sphere, featuring the San Jose Sharks likely selecting Canadian forward Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick. This event marks the first televised broadcast from the futuristic venue, known for its immersive video technology and impressive LED displays. The draft will commence with the opening round on the first day, followed by rounds two through seven on the second day. The San Jose Sharks secured the top pick by winning the NHL Draft Lottery, having had the best odds at 18.5% after finishing last in the standings.
THEATER
Magdalene Opera: June 4-5, 7-8; Los Angeles
“Magdalene,” a chamber opera from the creative director, producer and XLISTER Beth Morrison, explores transformation and desire through the collective voices of 14 women. Set to Marie Howe’s Magdalene poems, it delves into the interior world of Mary Magdalene, presenting her as a contemporary woman. The opera, produced by Prototype Festival and funded by various organizations including America’s Opera Fund, premiered at the 2020 Prototype Festival.
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