Queer Britain is the first and only LGBTQI+ museum in the UK. They are teaming up with Sounds Queer, a music platform that celebrates diverse sounds and voices from the LGBTQIA+ community. Together, they will host an evening of fantastic queer music at King’s Cross Summer Sounds Festival.
Straddling the gap between live music and queer nightlife, Sounds Queer collaborates with festivals and organizations to create safe spaces for queer artists and audiences in the live music scene.
In their mission, they have partnered with events such as Mighty Hoopla, Roundhouse, and Birmingham Pride, bringing their vibrant party atmosphere to live music.
Get ready to enjoy performances by some of the best emerging LGBTQ+ talents in the city. Performers include Barbs the Drag Queen, Charles, Toby Corton and AUX (lead singer of GRAMN).
“Community is at the heart of the festival, and we’re so proud to be able to spotlight the local diversity and fantastic talent we have in the area”.
– Martin Collins Festival Director
More about King’s Cross Summer Sounds
This year, King’s Cross Summer Sounds honours its commitment to diversity and inclusion by taking a more community-centric approach than ever before. Local businesses and organisations are playing a pivotal role in co-curating a series of events that bring together a blend of artists and musicians, including Anthony Whitworth-Jones, English Folk Dance and Song Society, King’s Place, Lafayette, Queer Britain, Voices Radio, and Aga Khan Foundation.
What´s on at King’s Cross Summer Sounds Festival?
The festival opens with a bang with Unicorn Frequency – a fiery ensemble of international jazz, classical and traditional musicians from across Europe.
Other festival moments include Indie Rock sensation Lily Moore and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard on Friday, 16 August, the return of the Queer Britain takeover on Monday, 19 August (see above), and a celebration of everything folk on Monday, 26 August, with performances from Kabantu and all female folk band Kinnaris Quintet.
Queer Tango London – 17 August
Queer Tango London (QTL) classes and Milonga will also take place at Lewis Cubitt Square on Saturday 17 August. QTL is a London-based Argentine tango organisation that is part of King’s Cross Summer Sounds programme and aims to drive participation from older generations of
the LGBTQIA+ community in the local area. QTL believes tango benefits both the mind and body and gives the community an opportunity to meet like-minded people.
Free Live Concerts
As London’s most inclusive free music festival, King’s Cross Summer Sounds will deliver the live concerts every evening from 6:30pm—8:30pm and from 1pm—6pm on ‘Family Sundays’. There will also be a loop so that the hearing impaired can hear through their hearing aids and a designated area for people with limited mobility.
As aleays, the festival is free, and there is no need to book tickets, but they encourage getting down early to bag your spot!
Photo credit: King’s Cross Summer Sounds 2023, Credit John Sturrock
King’s Cross Summer Sounds Festival runs from 15 – 26 August, Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, London N1C 4DQ, United Kingdom.
