Category: Festival

Announcing Homotopia Festival 2026: We Come Together!

Homotopia Festival 2026 is back: We Come Together

Homotopia Festival is back for 2026!

This autumn, the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival returns to Liverpool with a new theme and a simple invitation: We Come Together.
We come together to gather around a stage. To fill the dancefloor. To join a workshop. To sing with others. To discover a new artist. To celebrate Queer brilliance. To remember our histories and imagine new futures together.

Across October and November, Homotopia Festival 2026: We Come Together will bring artists, audiences and communities together across Liverpool for a celebration of Queer creativity in all its forms. Expect bold performance, visual art, film, music, comedy, club culture, workshops, conversation and plenty of collective joy.

For more than twenty years, Homotopia has championed courageous artists and created spaces for Queer stories to flourish. This year’s festival continues that tradition, bringing together those who have helped shape our culture with the emerging artists and young Queer voices carrying it forward.
And we’re starting with a celebration.

House of Suarez marks its 20th anniversary with a spectacular runway event, celebrating two decades of one of Liverpool’s most iconic Queer creative communities. From there, We Come Together unfolds into a programme spanning theatre, live art, comedy, club nights, film, workshops, conversations and much more.

Across the festival, audiences will encounter acclaimed artists alongside exciting new voices. There will be opportunities to make and create, to dance together at Queer club nights, to experience new performance, to discover film, to join conversations and workshops, and to make space for reflection and remembrance. This year, we celebrate the richness of Queer culture in all its forms. We celebrate artists making fearless new work. We celebrate communities preserving and sharing our histories. We celebrate young people finding their creative voices through Young Homotopia. And we celebrate the generations of people who have made Queer culture what it is today, while creating space for those who will shape what comes next.

Since 2004, Homotopia has supported artists from Liverpool City Region and around the world to tell stories that deserve to be seen. From nurturing emerging talent and commissioning groundbreaking public artworks to creating opportunities for LGBTQIA+ communities to connect through creativity, we have always believed that art changes lives. Homotopia Festival is where those threads come together.

It’s where established artists share space with emerging voices. Where local stories meet perspectives from further afield. Where our histories inspire what comes next. And where audiences don’t simply watch, but participate, question, celebrate, dance, make and create something new together.
Whether you’ve been coming to Homotopia for twenty years or 2026 will be your very first festival, there’s a place for you here.
And this is only the beginning.

Some words from our Executive Director, Jayne Compton:

“Marking my first year as Director of Homotopia, the 2026 programme ‘We Come Together’ showcases an incredible breadth of queer work including dance, performance, film, club nights, digital and visual art. Liverpool is a city of extraordinary spirit, creativity, and diversity. The festival brings together LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences for experiences that surprise, move, and inspire. Building on Homotopia’s artistic and activist legacies, ‘We come together’ is an invitation to experience transformative art, to remember our histories and imagine new futures.”

Some words from our Co-Chairs, John Shortell & Laura Hall on behalf of the Board of Trustees:

“This festival is both a gathering and an act of hope and resistance. It is a place to question, reflect, and connect. It is also a place to laugh, celebrate, and experience the joy that comes from community. At a time when visibility and belonging cannot be taken for granted, Homotopia champions the transformative power of creativity to challenge injustice, inspire understanding, and affirm the richness and diversity of LGBTQIA+ lives. Welcome to Homotopia Festival 2026. We are delighted to share this journey with you.”

Our full Homotopia Festival 2026 programme is coming soon. Are you ready? We can’t wait to give you all the details…

We Come Together.
October – November 2026.

Funded by Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council.

Applications Open for the Homotopia x Unity Scratch Night

Homotopia and Unity Theatre are delighted to launch an open call for the Homotopia x Unity Scratch Night, taking place as part of Homotopia Festival 2026: Come Together. We’re inviting LGBTQIA+ artists from across the Liverpool City Region to submit new performance work for an evening dedicated to bold ideas, creative experimentation and exciting new Queer voices.

Whether you’re developing a brand-new play, a rehearsed reading, a work in progress or a fully formed excerpt, the Scratch Night is an opportunity to share your work in front of a welcoming and supportive audience. We’re looking for pieces between 15 and 20 minutes in length that are daring, thought-provoking and unapologetically Queer.

The evening is designed to champion new work at every stage of development, creating space for artists to take creative risks, play with form and test ideas in a collaborative environment. As part of this year’s We Come Together festival theme, the Scratch Night celebrates the power of gathering as artists and audiences, encouraging conversation, experimentation and the development of new Queer storytelling.

Homotopia has a long history of supporting artists to develop ambitious new work, and this Scratch Night continues our commitment to nurturing emerging talent while providing opportunities for local creatives to connect with audiences and one another.

If you have an idea you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Submissions close on Friday 28 August 2026.

For information on how to apply, please sign up via the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRa-ar-cBzocm8QPG0B-W99svJtS9-2sq8fM3ZG-nmSbJSjg/viewform?usp=send_form

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! Opens at Lost Art

We were so excited to welcome audiences to the opening night of Pride is a Trans Led Protest! at Lost Art, and what a special evening it was.

Bringing together artists, activists and audiences from across Liverpool and beyond, the night felt full of connection, care and shared purpose. Pride is a Trans Led Protest! centres trans voices, histories and futures, and it was powerful to see that reflected so clearly in the room from the very start.

The evening was kicked off with a brilliant live performance from T.S Idiot, bringing energy and warmth into the space. We heard from curators Connie Frankish and Gary Needham in conversation with Emeri Curd, who offered thoughtful and generous reflections on the exhibition’s origins, the realities of organising right now, and the importance of community-led action. We also chatted with Charlie Supastar, a northern fashion designer specialising in transwear fashion, alongside the incredible Mahito Junior.

This exhibition is a living document, holding moments of protest, visibility and joy, and continuing our commitment to platforming work that challenges injustice and uplifts underrepresented voices.

Isobel Stainsbury, Executive Director of Homotopia, said:

“It was so special to see the space filled with people coming together for this exhibition. At Homotopia, we believe in the power of queer-led culture to bring people together and to celebrate who we are. Pride is a Trans Led Protest! does all of that, it’s bold, it’s necessary, and it’s rooted in community. We’re incredibly proud to be sharing it.”

You can visit Pride is a Trans Led Protest! at Lost Art from now until 8 May, with more moments to come, including a closing event we’re excited to share more about soon…

Find out more and plan your visit:
https://www.homotopia.net/events/pride-is-a-trans-led-protest/

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! is  back and bolder than ever before

Homotopia are delighted to announce on International Trans Day of Visibility that Pride is a Trans Led Protest! is back and bolder than ever before, and it isn’t going anywhere. 

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! curates work from transgender rights activists, community groups, grassroots activism, and trans and queer artists based in Liverpool and beyond placing at the centre a commemoration of the city’s queerness and community. The exhibition is both a curation and a document, placing 2025 in a hyper-local and global context, including the weeks following the Supreme Court ruling, the different protests and moments of visibility, and the longer histories of trans activism that culminated in Liverpool Pride which, for the first time in its history, was a trans led march. 

As an organisation, we stand firm in our commitment to celebrate the full diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, without compromise, exclusion, or erasure. Postponing the exhibition, and finding this new venue and duration to exhibit, allows us to ensure that it can be presented in its entirety, in the way it was originally envisioned by the artists, contributors and collaborators involved: authentically, unapologetically, and with respect for the voices and experiences of trans people. 

Some words from our Executive Director: 

“On International Trans Day of Visibility, we’re proud to showcase trans artists, activists and communities in bringing Pride is a Trans Led Protest! back, and ensuring it has the space it deserves to be seen in full. LGBTQIA+ rights have been hard won, and trans people have been leading that fight for our freedoms for decades. I’m delighted to see that story launched today and I’m excited for people to engage with trans work beyond TDOV.” 

Homotopia would like to thank those who have contributed to this exhibition during its past and present version. Special thanks to curators Connie Frankish and Gary Needham. 

Be sure to catch the exhibition from the 23rd of April to the 8th of May at Lost Art, the exhibition is free for all to access, please note the exhibition is operating different opening times, 9am-6pm weekdays, 10am-6pm Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday. Join us at the exhibition opening event on the 23rd of April and make sure to keep an eye out for further activity surrounding the exhibition due to be announced soon. 

For more information, visit: https://www.homotopia.net/events/pride-is-a-trans-led-protest/

Homotopia 2025: Wrapped!

A Year of Courageous Queer Art, Community and Impact

As the UK’s longest-running Queer arts and culture festival, we have spent more than two decades commissioning, creating and championing courageous LGBTQIA+ art. This year was no different, and we’re proud to share the impact of what we achieved together across our vibrant year-round programme and Homotopia Festival 2025.

Rooted in the Liverpool City Region and reaching beyond borders, our work continues to centre Queer stories, heritage and activism. From supporting artists and young people to collaborating with grass-roots organisations and venues, everything we do is driven by the belief that art transforms lives, and that Queer culture deserves to remain visible, accessible and fiercely celebrated with open arms!

In 2025, 70% of festival events were free and open to everyone, ensuring that Queer art and culture could be experienced by as many people as possible. During the festival, we reached 48,000 creatives online, extending our reach and audience significantly.

Supporting Artists

Over the past year, 100 artists worked with us across commissions, performances, exhibitions and development opportunities. As a Queer-led organisation, we remain committed to embracing artists locally, creating space for bold storytelling, bringing queer stories into the heart of the city, and creative risk-taking that challenges injustice and amplifies untold stories.

Our work with our incredible Young People

Our year-round programme continues to prioritise young people and emerging creatives. This year, we worked with 19 young people across four projects, supporting creative development, confidence and self-expression through Queer-affirming performance opportunities and mentorship.

Building Stronger Communities

Standing with communities is fundamental to Homotopia’s mission. Over the year, we supported four grass-roots organisations, including Asylum Link, Protect Scouse Dolls, Visual AIDS, Liverpool Trans Pride, recognising the vital role they play in caring for communities pushed to the margins. We also collaborated with 25 venues and organisations across Homotopia Festival, reinforcing the collective power of partnership in shaping the future of Queer arts and culture. One big highlight was collaborating with the incredible Sophie Green on a campaign to encourage arts spaces, venues and businesses to display inclusive signage, “Trans Women Welcome”, in their buildings to provide visibility for safe spaces for trans women in the city. Thanks to FACT for helping us distribute them!

2026 and beyond…

Homotopia has always used art as a tool for visibility, resistance and care. As a registered charity and National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England and Culture Liverpool, we remain committed to creating a future where LGBTQIA+ art and culture are celebrated, beyond borders, and placed at the forefront of meaningful activism.

Thank you to every artist, partner, organisation and audience member who stood with us this year. Together, we continue to build bold, inclusive and unapologetically Queer spaces, and we’ll be iconic whilst we do it…

If you haven’t already, we’d love to hear how your experience of Homotopia Festival 2025, please share your thoughts with us here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=MVElUymxEECG4UdL_X6AdpgT3p37lU1JpFpBD8h0AE1URUpWRUdDQVdRRktLS1pTVEdXVEU2UDdRUC4u&route=shorturl

Be sure to stay connected to us as we announce exciting opportunities in the New Year – we want you beside us!

And that’s a wrap!

Homotopia Festival 2025: Uprising has come to an end, what a month it has been uprising beside you this November!

This year’s festival burst with explorative art: from murals to drag, poetry to protest. As Liverpool hosted an unapologetically queer, defiant, grassroots arts festival, audiences experienced theatre, live art, visual art, film, photography, heritage, workshops, screenings and more. Together, we celebrated creativity that was grassroots, intersectional, and gloriously unruly.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people who collaborated with us, be this artists, audiences, organisations, funders, our incredible team – you all played such a huge part in helping to make this festival as special as it was.

A note from our Festival Producer, Natalie Lloyd:

Thank you for being part of Homotopia Festival: UPRISING. Whether you were creating work, producing, running a venue, teching a show, supporting audiences, volunteering, or holding everything together behind the scenes – I genuinely appreciate the time, energy, and care you brought to this year’s festival. It was a true honour and privilege to work closely with so many of you.

Festival Feedback
Homotopia is committed to being an organisation that is for the community and by the community and we value your feedback. We’re really keen to hear how your experience of Homotopia Festival 2025 went so that we can continue our great work with and for LGBTQIA+ people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It’s really important to us that we listen to our growing community, we are committed to making Homotopia Festival as good as it can be for many years to come.
Future Projects & 2026 Open Call
Watch this space! Make sure to keep an eye out for the open call for 2026, which will be announced early next year. We can’t wait to see your proposals…
Please share your thoughts with us regarding any of the events you featured in or attended by visiting: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=MVElUymxEECG4UdL_X6AdpgT3p37lU1JpFpBD8h0AE1URUpWRUdDQVdRRktLS1pTVEdXVEU2UDdRUC4u&route=shorturl

Homotopia Writers’ Award 2025: Announcing the winner and runners-up!

Homotopia and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse are delighted to reveal the winner and runners-up of this year’s Homotopia Writers’ Award!

We called on Liverpool’s LGBTQIA+ playwrights to send us their boldest, brightest new plays – and, after much reading and deliberating, we’re thrilled to announce that our 2025 winner is: Elinor J Boult with The Days Between Spring and Summer. Elinor receives a £1,000 award and a rehearsed reading of an excerpt in the Playhouse Studio on Saturday 22 November.

And there are two more writers to celebrate! The runners-up are:

Sean Patrick with Sanity Circus and Marcella Rick with Soft Lad

Excerpts from both runners-up will also be performed at the showcase event!

Here’s what the three fabulous writers had to say:

Elinor J Boult:
“I am beyond honoured to have been chosen as the winner… This play is a big piece of my soul… Thank you so much to the Everyman & Playhouse and to Homotopia for the opportunity to share my work and its message.”

Sean Patrick:
“Sanity Circus is a heartfelt ode to all the things I adore… an unapologetic celebration of authenticity, chaos, and joy.”

Marcella Rick:
“My new play, Soft Lad, holds so much personal exploration of queerness, family and politics… I can’t wait to share an excerpt with audiences.”

The Homotopia Writers’ Award Showcase is at 7.45pm on Saturday 22 November at the Playhouse Studio.
https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/homotopia-writers-award-showcase-2025/

Today’s the day!

It’s Homotopia Festival month!

Today’s the day. Right here, right now. Homotopia Festival 2025: Uprising has officially started, this year, we’re platforming the boldest voices; artists, agitators, and visionaries, whose work lives at the intersection of art and activism. From Liverpool and the wider city region to communities across the UK and beyond, we’re spotlighting hyper-local creativity that speaks truth to power.

Whether you’re craving bold performance, riotous laughter or a moment of queer reflection, Homotopia Festival 2025 has you covered. Kick things off at our Festival Launch Party, where community and cabaret collide, then step into the glitter-soaked world of Mr Blackpool’s Seaside Spectacular for an evening of drag, dance and unapologetic joy. If you fancy something a little deeper, join us for An Evening With Dross, a mesmerising blend of ritual, film and queer resistance. Drag Down the Borders puts on sellout shows full of queer joy and solidarity, showcasing incredible drag, burlesque, cabaret, and DJ talent. Our Young Homotopia & QueerCore Showcase celebrates fresh creative voices bursting onto the scene, while Remember Nature invites you to reconnect art and the environment in powerful new ways. And when you’re ready for a good laugh, Laugh-O-Dil Comedy Night brings the chaos, wit and heart of Liverpool’s finest queer comics. We’ll round things off with Extraordinary Acts Cabaret, a glittering celebration of trans love and community care. However you choose to join the uprising, there’s something unforgettable waiting for you at Homotopia.

We are delighted to announce that 6 events have already sold out – be sure to grab your tickets, you do not want to miss out.

We can’t wait to uprise beside you, right here, right now.

Tickets available here: https://www.homotopia.net/current-events/

See you there!

Homotopia Festival 2025 programme!

We are delighted to announce our programme for Homotopia Festival 2025: Uprising!

We’re back this November for our 21st edition, and we’re not coming quietly.

This year, we’re celebrating Uprising! across 5 bold categories:

Art – from murals to installations, creativity that won’t be contained
Film – stories that resist, reimagine, and rebuild
Discovery – workshops, talks, and spaces to learn & connect
Community – spaces to reflect and rejoice
Performance – theatre, drag, live art & more that demand attention

We can’t wait to uprise beside you, there really is something for everyone!

Book your place, explore what’s on, and join the uprising. 👉 https://www.homotopia.net/current-events/

Expect the unexpected. Celebrate defiance. Uplift queer art. Stand loud, creative & unapologetic.

Right here. Right now. In Liverpool.

We can’t wait to see you there…