WorldPride 2025 is expected to bring 3 million people to the D.C. and the nation's capital is taking steps to make locals and tourists feel safe.
Three million people are expected to visit D.C. during WorldPride 2025, with 2 million of those staying overnight.
It's believed the 18-day festival will bring $600 million to the city thanks to the tourists.
Between the parade, festival, and concerts, there are 350 pride events for WorldPride, and the plan to ensure things run smoothly and safely started in Mayor Muriel Bowser's office.
"All of the District's agencies worked with the WorldPride organizers for about a year now, putting together a safety and security plan where everybody contributes to a safe and secure event throughout the event," said Clint Osborn, director of the D.C. Homeland Security and the Emergency Management Agency, which is the lead coordination agency for emergency management.
The plan includes increased police patrols throughout the city and an event-specific text messaging service. By texting WorldPrideDC to 888-777, information on road closures, transit and weather information will be sent to your phone.
"Obviously, keeping an eye on what folks like WTOP News are doing and pushing out to the community for information, so that you're always up to date is really, really important," Osborn said.
Osborn said D.C. is working with the event organizers to have adequate water and cooling options for people next weekend for the pride events taking place.
Along with suggesting people use public transportation, Osborn said everyone attending pride celebrations should be aware of surroundings, and anyone feeling unsafe or sees an emergency to immediately call 911.
Osborn said his office spent several months having a series of preparatory exercises with their partners and the event organizers to make sure that everybody knows how to work together, how to escalate issues when they arise, and how to make decisions, such as when bad weather rolls through.
"We're going to continue to take every step necessary to make sure that this is a safe and fun event for all the attendees, and we're looking forward to welcoming folks from throughout the world to Washington, D.C. to celebrate this joyous time," Osborn said.
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