Victoria Canal Live At The Kennedy Center

BY KATHERINE CHUNG

On Saturday, February 15, 2025, Spanish-American singer-songwriter Victoria Canal captivated the audience with a powerful and heartfelt performance on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. She shared that it wasn’t her first time in D.C., reflecting on her past experiences during her set. “I love D.C. Despite its obvious weirdness.”

The show opened with the title track from her debut album, ‘June Baby’, a heartfelt ode to the magic of youthful summer romance. She then delivered captivating performances of ‘15%’ and ‘Vauxhall’, and ‘Cake’ from her debut album Slowly, It Dawns. After a few songs and jokes about her lifestyle, she shared why she returned to D.C. before introducing the next song. “You know I almost wasn’t going to do this performance today. I decided to because maybe I thought it would be better to be myself on this stage in this time and donate my fee to advocate for trans equality. So here is to using your voice even if it’s sometimes scary or nerve wrecking. Because everyone in this world deserves to be loved with empathy and compassion, and that’s what I believe in. That is what I am promoting today. Anyways this song I wrote when I didn’t have that voice and it is called, ‘Totally F**king Fine’.”

Recognizing the significance of performing at this historic venue, she took a moment to connect with the audience by asking, “How are you doing?” A simple yet meaningful question, it set the tone before she introduced the next song in her set. As an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and human rights, she consistently uses her platform to address real-world issues, including those unfolding in Washington, D.C., where she has performed multiple times.

She then introduced her song ‘Barely’ from her debut album, a poignant tribute to the strangers we pass by each day—unnoticed until they’re gone. The song not only captures this fleeting connection but also showcases Victoria’s stunning vocal range, effortlessly transitioning between soaring highs and deep, resonant lows. “Every single one of us has a whole universe, a whole life of love, anxiety, complication, and grief. I think that’s quite profound. And similarly, sometimes we don’t ask the people close to us like our mom or our dad or brother about something we have gone through even if we have lived around them our whole lives. We might not know some things about them.”  

After a captivating 45-minute set filled with laughter, tears, and queer joy, she smiled at the crowd, excitement radiating. For the encore, she invited song requests, engaging in a brief, heartfelt exchange before choosing three deeply personal yet universally relatable songs. As she began, anticipation spread, uniting everyone in a shared moment of music and emotion.

Victoria began the encore with a fan-favorite ‘Company’ from her 2023 EP Well Well. Pausing at the piano, she admitted, “I haven’t played this in a while. This song is about GAY love.” After a few verses, she added, “This is about loving someone through their transition. I love trans people. You belong here. You are meant to be accepted.”

She then shifted to the 2020 track ‘Drama,’ a lively ballad about criticism and insecurity. Before bowing out, she played a snippet of ‘Victoria’ and shared that she first visited the Kennedy Center at age 17 to receive a presidential scholar award under former President Barack Obama. Closing the night, she delivered a stunning performance of her 2022 song “Own Me,” showcasing her soaring high vocal range.

All proceeds and fees from the show have been donated to Advocates for Trans Equality.