The UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA arts festival will dazzle once again on 11 November
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY ROB BRAZIER
Homotopia, the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA arts festival, is set to make a triumphant return for its 20th-anniversary edition in 2023. The festival will kick off with a riotous celebration of queer history and heritage, featuring pro-wrestling, drag performances, and cabaret, all taking place in Liverpool’s vibrant Baltic Triangle.
The festival’s opening party – Clash of the Titans on November 11 – will showcase a thrilling fusion of comedy, drag artistry, and hard-hitting live wrestling. Wrestlers and queer cabaret ensemble Fist Club are set to deliver an unforgettable night of entertainment.
Themed Gods & Monsters, this year’s Homotopia festival promises an exhilarating 23-day extravaganza, running from November 11 to 2 December 2023. Visitors can look forward to a diverse range of cutting-edge entertainment spanning visual arts, theatre, live music, and captivating performances.
Shifting its focus towards growth and unity, Homotopia is encouraging festival-goers to contemplate ways of fostering a sense of community and mutual care in the face of an increasingly intolerant society. The festival aims to create a space of love and respect for members of the LGBTQIA community who often face demonization within the mainstream.
Alice Holland, Festival Programmer, expressed her excitement about curating the 20th edition of Homotopia: “The opportunity to curate the 20th edition of Homotopia is a huge privilege, and as a newcomer to Liverpool, it has been incredible to learn the city through meeting the festival’s networks, audiences, and supporters. My hope for this program is that we find new ways of being together, of being there for each other, and enjoying a glittery, gorgeous giggle before hibernation season kicks in.”
“There will be some festival favourites, of course, but we have also tried to open up new spaces for queer work and community, to make the most of Homotopia’s status as the beloved child of the city. I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years of queer culture will look like here.”
Homotopia 2023 boasts a stellar lineup of events, including David Hoyle, a living legend and queer icon, presenting The Ten Commandments at Unity Theatre on 17 November. Artist and activist Liv Wynter will grace the festival with How To Catch A Pig on 14 November, celebrating creatives who organise against the state, with a special focus on queer and trans performers. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s own EAT ME will host a weekend of fantasy, sin, and pleasure in the historic Williamson Tunnels during the EAT ME Weekender.
For a full list of events and activities taking place during Homotopia 2023, visit homotopia.net
DIVA magazine celebrates 29 years in print in 2023. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
