Having just left a miserable Pride festival where the motto of what stood for the entertainment (for 900 kroner) was to “it’s usually a good atmosphere regardless of what’s happening on stage” it always feels a little refreshing to be able to fall in for double the price a week later Way Out West in Sweden’s most beautiful city park.
In Slottsskogen, Sweden’s best curated festival is served in terms of what’s on the fourteen different stages, and regardless of whether you’re there because you like strange flute tones, mumbled shoegaze, rock hard club music or just want to show off your tan in your best festival outfit while checking out who’s hot Rachel Floor is before she appears as a bandage to Sabrina Carpenterthe festival management makes sure that you are served just that.
It also means (of course) that we who like to hear artists whose lyrics and music come from a queer perspective as usual have much more to choose from here than at a sports field with Smash Into Pieces, Peg Parnevik and Jill Johnson as the biggest name, and already today a whole bunch of interesting artists with a pronounced LGBTQ commitment are ready.
The DJ duo, and also the couple, Eris Drew & Octo Octa Dungen occupies the festival’s dance stage already two hours after opening, and their set is usually described as “a celebration of the spiritual community of rave parties and a tribute to trans-for-trans love”. How exciting? What a lovely party in the afternoon sun (we hope)?
However, they barely get off the stage before non-binary Yves Tumor plays his experimental music in the Linné tent, and last out before going home tonight you can see serpentwithfeet on Spotify’s own stage Höjden. Serpentwithfeet’s real name is Josiah Wise, is openly gay and has used his slick gospel music to express his sexuality from a young age. And that’s just a selection from today’s program…
Before Saturday, the Homo of the Year will also be at the QX Gala 2024, Ellen Krauss, stand on the festival’s biggest stage and Gothenburg’s lesbian pride Jackie Mere on one of the smaller ones, while queer-favorites and favorites-among-queera who Icona Pop, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Jessie Ware, Blondshell, Susanne Sundfør and Maisie Peters will fight for attention during the week with the big draws Fred Again, Oskar Linnros, Pulp, Jack White, Peggy Gou and The National.
And of course you have to see Artemas with his 2024 mega-hit I Like the Way You Kiss Me and Sweden’s absolute biggest artist right now; Benjamin Ingrosso. But more on that later. Now we go!
Help us get out
In order for QX as a monthly and news magazine to be able to continue to give voice to the rainbow community in all its fantastic breadth, we need your support!
As a subscriber, you receive the monthly magazine digitally before everyone else and you can also choose to have it delivered to your home. With your support, we can still get out!
Support us here
