PRIDE IS A DREAM

DJ John Summit Headlines Dreamland: Pride in Central Park

NYC’s Central Park will be the center of the LGBTQ universe on Sunday, June 30 when it hosts Dreamland: Pride in Central Park.   

The festival event will be held at the city’s most iconic outdoor venue, SummerStage, located inside Rumsey Playfield. It will be an immersive experience, celebrating diversity and inclusivity, with House and Techno giant DJ John Summit–best known for his showstopping performances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Tomorrowland, and EDC Las Vegas–headlining. Disco Dom and DJ Suri will also appear.   

“Today’s LGBTQ+ community seeks events that blend fun with meaningful social impact,” says Jake Resnicow, the event’s producer. “Dreamland: Pride in Central Park will be more than a party; it will be a place for every color of the rainbow to shine bold and bright.”  

The announcement of Dreamland: Pride in Central Park is welcome news to the queer community in New York City, as the city’s other annual music festival, Heritage of Pride’s Pride Island, has been canceled this year due to lack of corporate investment. “Our choice to remain a self-funded event was originally meant to ensure that our core values and vision remain uncompromised, however, it has also helped to shield us from being impacted by right wing influence,” Resnicow explains.

He doesn’t rule out corporate funding in the future. “Moving forward, we are open to partnering with sponsors who align with our mission of inclusivity, diversity, and community support. However, we will need to get through this spike of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the USA first.”

This year’s Dreamland: Pride in Central Park follows last year’s debut that featured Paris Hilton and Purple Disco Machine, with performances by Kim Petras and Billy Porter. 

According to Mr. Resnicow, DJ John Summit was selected as this year’s headliner because of his widespread appeal in the electronic music scene.  “John Summit’s music is a journey through sound that encapsulates the spirit of Pride,” Resnicow explains.  “Music fans are in for a real treat with an electrifying set, filled with high-energy tracks.”  

He also believes Summit’s decision to headline this year’s Dreamland may pave the way for other superstar artists of his caliber to bring their unique sounds and stories to future Dreamland stages. 

A portion of the proceeds from Dreamland: Pride in Central Park will benefit City Parks Foundation, an organization dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Their programs — located in more than 300 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City — reach over 275,000 people each year.

The partner hotel for Dreamland: Pride in Central Park is Yotel New York Times Square. New York’s famous high-tech, cool concept design, nestled between Times Square and Hudson Yards, is providing exclusive accommodations and discounted rates for Dreamland attendees.

Dreamland: Pride in Central Park takes place Sunday, June 30 at Rumsey Playfield (E 71st St and East Drive) in Central Park from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Doors open at 3:00 pm. Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster and at DreamlandPride.com