A global icon will be the highlight of Los Angeles Pride this year. Superstar Ricky Martin will be the headliner for the LA Pride in the Park concert.

The June 8 concert will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park, a 20-acre site with room for 25,000 people. And with a gay Latin megastar like Martin, it will be filled to capacity.

“I am thrilled to be headlining LA Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” Martin said in an emailed statement. “LA Pride is a testament to the power of community, the power of visibility, and the power of standing up for our rights. Being part of this vibrant community fills me with pride and purpose.”

This year’s theme, “Power In Pride,” is a perfect fit for the out Puerto Rican performer who rose to fame as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo before starting his solo career. While he was originally concerned about coming out, a lecture by his father gave him the push to make the announcement.

Martin’s dad, a psychologist, sat him down for a heart-to-heart about parents’ roles with their children and pointed out a hard truth: if he stayed in the closet, he would ask his children to keep up the charade. He would be teaching them to lie.

And since he took the leap, Martin’s career has skyrocketed. Not only has he earned two Grammys and three Latin Grammy Awards, he’s appeared on Broadway, earned an Emmy nomination for his role in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” and is currently part of the Apple TV series
“Palm Royale” cast.

Pride in the Park is the largest Pride music event in the country, and the LA Pride parade is one of the largest in the nation.

Look up all the information about pride events nationwide in our Pride Finder section.