Summer Rites: Out on the Dock

Summer Rites has long been established as one of the most legendary of London’s summer LGBT festivals, and this year they’re going all out as they take over the vast Tobacco Dock venue to give you an event to remember at the end of July! 

A collaboration between Summer Rites, the team behind Winter Pride and L-Wired, Out on the Dock promises a nautical theme where the quayside will sparkle with a carousel, helter-skelter, bunting, pirate ship and food courtesy of renowned catering crew Street Feast. Plus, of course, a blend of the most exciting clubbing colour in London with great newbies and the most scintillating club nights all taking part.

THE GREAT GALLERY: THE BIG GAY REUNION

Trade/Crash/DTPM/Love Muscle: No one who’s anyone can have grown up with clubbing post-millenium and not have known one of these four Titans of the London gay scene. Here, they unite for a monster dance arena featuring Crash, the first mega club brand under Vauxhall’s arches; Trade, arguably the most famous gay night in London’s clubbing history; DTPM, the capital’s first Sunday service, and Love Muscle, south London’s legendary 90s floor-filler.

ALL ABOUT EAST

Batty Bass, the East London record label and collective brings you label boss Hannah Holland straight to your boom-receptors. Homoelectric caters to homos, heteros, Lesbos and don’t knows with Luke Unabomber and Jamie Bull; Gutterslut brings the Berlin boys back in town with Nic Fisher, Per QX and Ralf O, and Hot Boy Dancing Spot sees Jonjo Jury and Hello at the helm.

EAST BLOC BOOM ROOM

Shoreditch’s most sizzling basement boudoir club takes over one of the Tobacco Dock’s vaulted arches for Dish, with its mouth-watering selection of underground house and techno. Handsome is a nod to the gay clubs of the 80s and 90s with US house and a positive, uplifting energy. TheMenWhoFell2Earth, who thought they were going to be on before Madonna, are actually on before Martyn Fitzgerald. At least he’ll share the poppers.

R’N’B VAULT

Bootylicious, one of London’s longest-running and respected urban LGBT nights hosts its own arena, so get ready for some booty-shaking!

BEAR PIT

The Bear Pit does as the Bear Pit does! Ain’t no more words needed! Tonker, Hot Fuzz, Meat and Dirtbox come together to give you bears, beards, rugged gents and their admirers, treasure trails, moustaches, hirsute backs and muscley cracks all night long. With DJs Tim Jones, Silverhook, Seth Stromboli, the Meatzine and Crisco disco bathhouse from Dirtbox.

THE INDIE VAULT

Douchebag has been keeping alt-East London messy for two years and this is the home of Mad Moomba, Fag Guitar and Twisted Synth DJs Laurence Del Rey and The Wolf. 

• Summer Rites: Out on the Dock is on Saturday 26th July at the Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, E1W from midday-11pm.