Madonna withdraws from appearance at London Pride due to safety concerns

Madonna, 67, pulled out of a planned surprise appearance at London Pride after security concerns led her team to cancel their participation. The annual Parade is one of the largest LGBTQIA+ events in the world and, in addition to celebrating the community's achievements, it gives visibility to current struggles.

Although there was speculation that the singer would perform alongside Beth Ditto and MNEK on the main stage of Trafalgar Square, in the heart of the English capital, in front of an estimated audience of 1.8 million people this Saturday (4), organizers later confirmed on social media that the Queen of Pop would not be present.

"Madge was very excited to take part in the event as she is a huge activist for LGBTQ+ rights. But a last-minute decision was made by her team not to take part due to the huge crowd, over fears it could turn the well-organized event into complete chaos," a source told The Sun.

Organizers posted on social media: "In response to rumors, we can confirm that Madonna will not appear or perform at London Pride."

More than 35,000 participants, representing hundreds of groups, marched through central London on Saturday, from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall, carrying rainbow flags. The public gathered along the route to watch the parade, while activists highlighted issues still pending for the LGBTQ+ community, such as the delay in accessing gender-affirming health care and the growth in violence motivated by prejudice.

Rumors of Madonna's participation emerged at the end of a week in which the star promoted the release of her new work, "Confessions II", which marks her long-awaited reunion with producer Stuart Price, with whom she also collaborated on the acclaimed 2005 album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor".

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Source: CNN