Grimes has had to cancel her performance at Washington, D.C.'s World Pride Music Festival, taking place next weekend (June 6–7), due to unspecified family issues.
She wrote on Twitter/X:
I am so so sorry and regretful to say I have to cancel my pride show in order to deal with family issues.
I want to say that I am aware the situation has been a great inconvenience to the fans for some time, and I am truly determined to make sure this is no longer the case very soon.
I think the show is still going to be amazing and the lineup is great. I hope this is early enough and gives people enough time if they wish to change their plans. And I *will* make this up to you guys very soon.
What those issues are remains to be revealed, but the artist born Claire Boucher is in the midst of a very public split from and ongoing custody problems with Elon Musk, the man who contributed to the controversy surrounding her appearance at the Pride celebration.
Musk himself is known for his transphobic views — especially pertaining to his daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson — and expressing them freely online. Grimes herself has defended Wilson publicly. Despite that, many fans took issue with the event including Boucher in the lineup, with one commenter asking upon the poster reveal, "When will these festivals start giving visibility to artists who support the cause?"
For the most part, respondents to Grimes's cancellation announcement are a mix between people expressing genuine disappointment at her absence and others decrying "Woke" for some reason.