Village People leave fans furious after confirming Trump inauguration performance
Village People have confirmed they will perform at Trump’s inauguration (Andrew Chin and Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The Village People say they hope their hit “YMCA” will help “bring the country together” while confirming that they will perform at president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Announcing the decision on the band’s Facebook page on Monday (13 January), a spokesperson said: “We know this won’t make some of you happy, however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.”
They hoped their tunes would unite the country “after a tumultuous and divided campaign”, they added.
The spokesperson went on to say that despite the fact that their “preferred candidate lost” the election in November, they had accepted an invitation from the Trump campaign to perform at “various events” around the inauguration on 20 January.
Happy to announce our participation in President Trump's inaugural activities! pic.twitter.com/HGsQMIScR1
— VillagePeople (@WeVillagePeople) January 13, 2025
The decision has been met with criticism, with one former fan replying on Facebook: “I have no more respect [for] your group… I am ashamed and will be throwing away all your music”.
Another person wrote: “It’s so telling that you ripped off a bunch of these characters’ outfits from the queer community (especially the biker), then do this. You have really sold out.”
Country singer Carrie Underwood also faced a backlash after it was revealed that she would be performing at the inauguration, with one social media writing: “I hope he cheats again” a reference to her hit song “Before He Cheats.”
Trump used the Village People’s music, including “YMCA” and Macho Man”, on the campaign trail, prompting the band to threaten to sue him.
Last year, however, lyricist Victor Willis changed his mind and wrote on Facebook that he no longer had an issue with the Republican candidate playing the band’s songs because “[they] has benefited greatly from use by the president elect”, and “estimated to [have grossed] several million dollars” since the tunes began being used.
“YMCA” is not a gay anthem, he added, and anyone who believes it is should “get [their] minds out of the gutter”.
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