WHO: New Orleans’ LGBTQ+ community and allies; New Orleans Pride Center
WHAT: 1st annual New Orleans LGBTQ+ Music & Culture Festival
WHEN: Sunday April 12th, 1:00 – 5:00 pm
WHERE: The Broadside 600 N. Broad St. New Orleans LA 70119
The New Orleans Pride Center is holding the first annual Who Fab Fest, a celebration of New Orleans’ LGBTQ+ music and culture and the many ways they have contributed to the city. Taking place Sunday April 12th at the Broadside, the event will feature local musicians and performers, as well as food and art vendors, with headliners including Mia Borders, BJ So Cole, Ever More Nest, Drugstore Lipstick, and Laveau Contraire. The event is open to all ages and allies, with proceeds from the event supporting the New Orleans Pride Center’s community programs. Tickets are donate-what-you-can and can be found at tinyurl.com/whofab.
New Orleans’ music and culture has long had LGBTQ+ community members who were key contributors and culture bearers, from Tony Jackson and James Booker in the past to Big Freedia and so many others now. Who Fab Fest brings together a mix of well-known and lesser-known artists to create a community celebration of these cultural contributions, with genres ranging from folk to bounce to punk. The festival will also feature some of the city’s most talented drag and comedy performers.
A fundraiser for the New Orleans Pride Center, which opened its doors two years ago, Who Fab Fest also serves as an inclusive and joyful space for a community that is facing increased political attacks and targeted violence. “Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ communities still face violence and erasure, whether from legislative attacks on gender-affirming care or bans on books with LGBTQ+ content,” NOPC Board President Kyle DeVries said. “That makes events like Who Fab Fest even more important, shining a light on our community’s talents and reminding us that shared joy is a powerful act of resistance.”
Proceeds will support the Pride Center’s core programs of weekly LGBTQ+ youth groups and free mental health counseling. Key festival organizers and musicians are available for interviews before the festival.
