DAYTRIP: Queer East Takeover at the ICA on Saturday, May 16 ’26

Queer East is hosting a special takeover at the ICA on Saturday, May 16. The event features an all-day lineup of films, performances, and practice-based workshops, culminating in a vibrant club night. Exploring the exhilarating joy of movement in its many forms, this experimental and multidisciplinary showcase will take place throughout the venue, offering a sensory experience filled with bold sounds, moving images, and haptic intimacies.

In the theatre, the Hong Kong-based dance company Unlock Dancing Plaza presents a double bill featuring works by Joseph Lee and Paula Wong. Their performances explore the body politics of spectatorship through a playful subversion of everyday gestures. The lineup also includes shibari artist hua hua, multidisciplinary artist Riven Ratanavanh, the queer collective CD3, and experimental choreographer Osamu Shikichi. Each performance uniquely engages with the vibrant and errant nature of queerness.
 
A looping shorts program will showcase works by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Umi Ishihara, and Oat Montien, among others. Audiences can come and go as they please, experiencing cinematic velocity in the theatre. Throughout the day, they will witness counter-choreographic eruptions and explore interconnected themes such as the poetry of migration, trespassed borders, unrestrained desire, and the essential role of movement in survival.

Audiences are invited to explore shibari as a mindful and sensual practice through a workshop led by hua hua. This event will feature a variety of other cross-disciplinary workshops led by the Pubis Project, Sun Park, Chiemi Shimada, Kayla Lui, and Doreen Chen. These workshops will cover topics such as fantasy stamp-making, cosmotechnical filmmaking, life drawing that challenges established systems of gaze, and a dream-based cocktail mixer.
 
Building to a fiery, moonlit climax, we will shed skins and dance hard to the beats of Flow (海纳百川), a multidisciplinary club and performance programme curated by celebrated DJ-artist Sirui Chang (Princess Xixi).

Full Access: £35 (2pm – 2am)
Day Pass: £25 (2pm – 9.30pm)
Rave Pass: £15 (9.30pm – 2am)

DAYTRIP is on 16 May 2026, at ICA, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH, United Kingdom.

More About Queer East

In 2025, the Queer East Festival attracted over 5,000 attendees. The festival celebrates its seventh year in 2026, and takes place across multiple venues in London. Queer East is a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases innovative LGBTQ+ cinema, live performances, and moving image art from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.

The richness of Asian and queer heritage is a vital part of this country’s identity. Through a diverse and forward-thinking program, the festival aims to amplify the voices of Asian communities while challenging conventional norms, labels, and stereotypes associated with queer Asian portrayals.

Queer East collaborates with partners in the film, arts, and cultural sectors to create meaningful change in screen culture. Their goal is to foster an open space for everyone to explore the contemporary queer landscape in East and Southeast Asia.