This year’s LGBTIQ extravaganza Feast Festival was one to remember as participants came together to paint Adelaide in the colours of a rainbow. We saw burlesque performers, fashion designers, politicians, DJs, drag queens, singers, comedians and all sorts of characters come from around the globe to show Adelaide what the LGBTIQ community is made of and support gay rights. Here’s just a few of those memorable moments from Feast Festival 2016.
Concita Wurst’s ‘The Art of Drag’
Conchita alongside her glamorous drag queens. Image: Feast Festival FB page.
Face of the Feast Festival and international superstar Conchita Wurst flew in for her first live Australian performance as she hosted ‘The Art of Drag’, a night of feathers, sequins, lipstick and lip-syncing. This one-night-only event not only showcased the awe-inspiring talent of Eurovision winner Conchita, but also offered an amazing selection of over 100 local and interstate drag performers, too. In attempt to break a world record aiming for the most drag queens onstage during The Art of Drag show, Hit 107‘s Cat and Amos even dressed up in drag to help make this dream possible!
Amongst the drag queens performing on the night was Adelaide’s own Vonni, who recently had her 65th birthday, celebrating a massive 40 years of performing drag onstage. With no intention of slowing down, Vonni said, “The thought of retiring never enters my head. I think hard work is the secret to a longer, more productive life – and I plan on being around till I’m over 100!”
Go Go Pop Dance Party
DJ Filip With an F sure knows how to get a crowd pumping. Image: Robert Knapman, http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/.
Remember that time when everyone threw a tantrum about the changing of Tijuana Showgirls‘ name to ‘Go Go Ladyboy‘, claiming it was insensitive to the trans community? Well ladies and gentlemen, members of the straight, gay, lesbian, transexual and drag queen communities all came together as one for a night of fun and dance hosted in that same venue over Feast Festival. And it was absolutely fantastic.
The Go Go Pop party, hosted by DJs Josh and Filip With an F, boasted the greatest hits from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, holding the title of the ultimate pop party. Guests heard from the likes of Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift… the list never ends (and the party never stops)! What an opportunity to shake the booty, thank goodness for those stripper poles Go Go Ladyboy have planted throughout their venue.
Soul Trader Presents ‘The Red Dress’
Local model and designer Katya Komarova in The Red Dress. Image: Vueey Le.
For the first time, fashion designers from around the world unified to offer a night of fabulous fashion in the shade of red. Feast Festival’s The Red Dress showcased a classy fitout at Soul Trader on Payneham Road and a runway featuring local, national and international designs all in the form of a red dress. With a concept inspired by Red Ribbon Day, also known as World AIDS Day, the night raised money for the support and education of sexual health in South Australia as all proceeds were donated to SA Mobilisation and Empowerment for Sexual Health.
The range covered creations seen on the Logie and Oscar red carpets, as well as a select few new styles and gowns. At the end of the parade, an entertaining drag show closed the evening as the models came back onstage to join in the fun. It was a lovely show of diversity and individuality, for we all know fashion plays a huge role in creating one’s unique identity.
If you would like to know more about the event, read our article here.
Picnic in the Park
All we see is colour at Picnic in the Park! Image: Feast Festival FB page.
Reaching capacity this year, the family-friendly Picnic in the Park brought together an array of light-hearted entertainment to soothe the soul at Pinky Flat on the leafy banks of the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri. One for the animal lovers; the Rainbow Dog Show, named ‘the most colourful dog show you will ever see’ offered exactly what it suggests, a parade of cute, cuddly, rainbow-coloured dogs, even some with coloured fur! A tug-of-war competition saw Metropolitan Fire Service participate for a game of fire service vs police followed by lesbians vs gays. DJs from Hit 107 came to play some tunes, and even a game of Handbag Toss made the cut.
Let’s not forget about the gourmet food vans and South Australian beverages provided onsite! And with a free afterparty at the Lion Arts Centre, the guests sure fare-welled Feast Festival 2016 in style.
