Nine LGBT+ events to watch out for in 2019

LGBT+ History Month
February 26
Various Venues, including M Shed

LGBT History Month will culminate on Saturday, February 26. This year’s event features talks on famous LGBT+ Bristolians, the origins of queer national campaigns and the lives of native people of North America. Their recent talks have covered the Amazonians and classical erotica.

Bristol Pride has hopes to announce a new venue for 2019

Bristol Pride
July 1 – 14
Venues and headliners yet to be disclosed

36,000 people joined 2018’s Pride event – and 12,000 took part in the march through Bristol City Centre. The big news is that Pride has requested to host their next festival on The Downs.

Concerns have been raised about the number of people that are not able to access the Millennium Square site and The Downs could offer the solution. However, it would mean redrawing the parade route and moving the focus away from the city centre. At the time of going to press, no further decisions have been made.

Bristol Pride’s exciting plans include bringing back some of their favourite acts from the last 10 years and a new stage hosted by DIVA magazine. If plans for a larger site come to fruition, Bristol Pride will also feature a new Mental Health Area and Circus Big Top.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrN4LrHAKNj/

ESDR
Next event on January 26. Further dates throughout 2019.
SWX

Last year, Eat Sleep Drag Repeat hosted sold-out gigs featuring Monét X Change, Sascha Velour, and Jinkx Monsoon. ESDR will kick-off 2019 with a fantastic appearance from reigning winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Aquaria. Since claiming the crown, Aquaria has released the electropop single Burn Rubber. Her Age of Aquaria show features explosive choreography, couture costuming and backing dancers.

Lash Stackers present
February 9
The Wardrobe Theatre

The Bristol drag scene is booming. The Shade Pullers & Lash Stackers Social Club is a drag-cabaret night that last year brought The Virgin Xtravaganzah to their fabulous show-within-a-show.

The Shade Pullers & Lash Stackers Social Club is a fictional ‘70s working men’s club. The owner’s son has taken over booking performers and now this working men’s club features a roster of queer performers

The headliner for the next performance has yet to be confirmed, but these tongue-in-cheek shows always feature heart-warming humour and fabulous acts.

Rebel Rebel coincides with the anniversary of Bowie’s death

Rebel Rebel
January 12
Old Market Assembly

From Wig in a Box Productions comes a special night in celebration of David Bowie. The list of performers includes Manchester-icon Cheddar Gorgeous, Bristol’s punk favourite Dis Charge, Brizzle Boiz organiser Oliver Assets, Sid Delirium, Benjamin Butch, Ruby Derrière and Crayola the Queen. Punka will be DJing and they invite everyone to arrive in their favourite Bowie-inspired lewks.

Sir Ian McKellan is one of Britain’s most influential gay men

Ian McKellan on Stage
February 19 – 20
Bristol Old Vic

Ian McKellan celebrates his 80th birthday by touring a new solo show to theatres. He says: “the show starts with Gandalf and will probably end with an invitation to act with me on stage”. The show displays his inimitable character and is peppered with anecdotes from his life and career.m

Queer Prom + Brizzle Boiz
February 16
Old Market Assembly

Queer Prom has been organised in association with Brizzle Boiz, Bristol’s leading drag king night who will provide the 8pm to 10pm pre-show. From 10pm, the prom queer people longed for at school kicks off. After three sold-out shows in Brighton and London, the team are making their way to Bristol to make all your queer dreams come true!

Will Hudson’s play explores ‘bottoming’

Bottom
March 7 – 9
The Wardrobe Theatre

Bottom was developed with support from Bristol Old Vic Ferment and Arts Council England. Trained at Oxford School of Drama, Willy Hudson presents a funny and revealing story about one part of the modern queer experience – the brutal reality of dating and identity.

Will is locked in his bathroom during an awful third date wrestling with the question: are you top or bottom? Does being ‘bottom’ in the bedroom mean being bottom in life? It adds a human, coming-of-age slant to the problem of heteronormative restrictions.

Vice City: Queen Special
February 27
Thekla

Celebrate the magic of Queen and Freddie Mercury with a themed night. This night is straight out of the 1980s and celebrates the disco anthems from artists like Bee Gees, Boney M, ABBA, Madonna, Bowie, Blondie, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Wham!, Chic, and Human League.