A new festival from Aberdeen Performing Arts will shine a spotlight on the most dynamic, daring, and joyful performers from Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community, as the Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival is officially unveiled.
Running from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 November, the festival will take over the Lemon Tree and Aberdeen Art Gallery with a diverse programme of performances, workshops, and events, reflecting the creativity and artistry of the community.
Featured artists include Walt Disco, Simone Seales, CJ Banks, Himish Macbeth, Uncle Tony, Dan Wye, and Turan Ali, among many others. Sharon Burgess, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts, commented: “The arts have long been a sanctuary for queer and trans joy, and a safe space for experimentation.
“We want to take a minute to reflect and celebrate that with this brand new festival.
“The common theme of the Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival is that each event is engaging, inspiring and most of all, full of heart. Everyone is welcome to join us for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend.”
The festival launches with a free Lunchtime Concert at Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen Art Gallery, featuring cellist and performance artist Simone Seales, who will also deliver a pre-concert talk. Seales’ work explores the emotional resonance of sound and their debut album, I believe in living, draws on Assata Shakur’s poetry to create a soundscape embracing discomfort, beauty, hope, and grief.
Thursday evening brings “Gaze” to the Lemon Tree, promising an explosion of colour, joy, and unapologetic self-expression, with local creatives taking the stage. This event will be British Sign Language interpreted.
Friday 7 November focuses on the art of drag, with a panel discussion at the Lemon Tree titled “Getting Into Drag”, featuring CJ Banks, Himish Macbeth, and Uncle Tony. The panellists will share their journeys and discuss the realities of building a career in drag. This is followed by a “Getting Into Drag” workshop on Saturday 8 November, open to all experience levels and hosted by CJ Banks and Sleepy.
Also on Friday, Dan Wye presents Am I Sam Smith?, a comedic exploration of fame, identity, and the absurdity of accidental celebrity.
Saturday’s highlights include Queer Folk Tales at the Lemon Tree, a storytelling show featuring stand-ups, writers, poets, and singers, hosted by Turan Ali and showcasing local talent. Glasgow’s Walt Disco headline Saturday night, performing tracks from their acclaimed new album, The Warping.
Sunday 9 November begins with a Tea Dance at the Lemon Tree, presented by Sanctuary Queer Arts and the Culture Club Collective, offering a welcoming space for dancing, conversation, and connection. Later, a panel discussion, “Re-writing Queer Relationships in Literature”, supported by WayWORD (University of Aberdeen), will see writers Ashley Douglas, Chitra Ramaswamy, Kirsty Logan, and Cailean Steed explore the literary evolution of queer relationships.
In Case You Missed it:
The festival closes with a Community Open Stage, giving local LGBTQ+ performers of all ages and disciplines the chance to shine. Hosted by Sleepy and Uncle Tony, up to 10 performance slots will be available for drag artists, musicians, writers, storytellers, and more.
Tickets for all events are now on sale from Aberdeen Performing Arts, either online, by phone, or at the box office in His Majesty’s Theatre or the Music Hall.
