Are you and your partner music junkies looking for festivals that are supportive of the LGBTQ community? There are big events with big stars and small events with small vibes where it is possible to wave a rainbow flag. Time to get your glitter and pride and find the best gay-friendly music festivals to attend with your other half.
Tropical Fruits New Year’s Festival—Australia
Start the new year at one of the biggest LGBTQ festivals in the southern hemisphere. Tropical Fruits is a four-day festival that takes place in Lismore, Australia and includes live music, DJs, drag shows, sport, street parades and lots of dancing. The festival is attended by approximately 3,000 people each year and offers a great opportunity to spend nights dancing with your partner and making new friends from the queer community all around the world in an open and accepting environment.
The festival ends with a massive New Year’s Eve event where you can see the fireworks and celebrate the last day of the year with a kiss. You will be entertained by a unique selection of artists from electro, house, nu-disco, techno and many others. Go for a leisurely swim in the pool, shop at the stalls, or watch a drag show or cabaret show. Tropical Fruits is an emancipating and exciting way for any rainbow couple to welcome the new year.
Miami Beach Pride—USA
Miami Beach Pride is where you should head for a beachside festival getaway. The week-long event draws over 100 thousand people for the sun, the surf, the music and the Pride. One of the main events of the festival is a massive beach party and a spectacular parade of floats and costumes.
Miami Beach Pride is equipped with various stages featuring live music, DJs, drag queens, and dancers that can engage your partner throughout the entire weekend. Expect to hear everything from reggae to hit singles to 70’s disco tunes. After a set, walk hand in hand with your boyfriend/girlfriend along the beach shore, look for food kiosks or vendors, or relax by the pool and order colorful cocktails. LGBTQ week is in full swing in Miami Beach with clubs and bars open for all seven days of the week, giving you plenty of opportunity to hook up and party the night away.
Purple Party Weekend—USA
Purple Party Weekend is a popular and one of the largest LGBTQ dance festival weekends in the USA which takes place every spring in Dallas, Texas. This weekend attracts thousands of party animals from the gay community and has events including circuit parties, after-hours events, pool parties, brunches and drag brunches.
The two of you will have a great time dancing to the music of world-famous DJs and their repertoire of house, techno, tribal or circuit tunes. When tired you can have a break and go to the pool at a bar where you can have a drink. As Purple Party is first and foremost an event aimed at music and dance, the weekend also serves to bring money to the local Dallas LGBTQ charities. So you can feel good about any partying activities you may be doing because you are helping a good cause.
Milkshake Festival—Netherlands
For a more alternative, underground vibe, grab your partner and head to Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam. Launched in 2012, Milkshake celebrates diversity and inclusivity in all its colorful forms. The festival welcomes anyone and everyone, regardless of gender, sexual preference, race, or appearance.
Milkshake is a club located in Westerpark and has seven separate areas with various themes and styles of music. It ranges from house music to techno to R&B to disco shows to drag performers. The lineups shape inclusivity by featuring underground musicians, people of color, and transgender and gender nonbinary artists. Attendees wear eccentric outfits that are almost fashion-statement incarnate. It is where any queer couple who loves art and freedom can find a piece of paradise.
Barcelona Circuit Festival—Spain
Soak up some Spanish sun with your sweetie at Barcelona Circuit Festival, Europe’s largest LGBTQ music festival. Drawing over 70,000 attendees from around the globe, Circuit brings 11 days of non-stop dancing, beach parties, water park events and more.
The Matinee Group Party is the festival’s crown jewel where you and your partner can party all night long. Happening in a massive open-air venue, this event includes a full-scale stage show, laser shows, dancers, performers and international DJs. During the day, enjoy the beach, visit the Water Park Day or explore the city of Barcelona. The friendly vibe and the wide range of nationalities in attendance make Circuit one of the most desirable gay dance parties for couples.
Winter Party Festival—USA
If you and your partner want to escape the cold and cut loose in a tropical gay paradise, check out Winter Party in Miami Beach. The sister event to Miami Beach Pride, Winter Party heats things up every March with a week of beach parties, dance events and cultural happenings.
You can support the LGBTQ community and have the time of your lives at the same time. You can choose from muscle beach parties to rooftop disco parties to all-night raves. Dance and swim in the Florida sun and experience Latin culture in Miami as you join the LGBTQ pride parade.
Conclusion
There are so many wonderful gay-friendly festivals around the world that music-loving couples will have a hard time choosing. These events are great opportunities to create unforgettable experiences with your partner, meet like-minded people, find new music, and reveal your real selves in an open atmosphere.
From the ocean of Miami to the gay-friendly underground of Amsterdam to the biggest festivals in Europe and Australia there is a festival for every queer couple that loves music and adventure. Well, what are you waiting for? Pack the rainbow flags, pack your bags, and get ready to make some epic festival memories with your partner.
