Feast Festival generates excitement for ‘Pridevember’ with the official launch of its vibrant 2024 program, honouring the transformative impact of Adelaide’s premier LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural festival.
From November 9-24, more than 900 artists, performers, volunteers, and production crew will come together to produce 82 events for Feast Festival 2024 with 95% of shows across 42 venues accessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments.
Impressively, over 40% of this year’s shows are either in creative development or making their Australian debut.
As Adelaide’s premier LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural festival, Feast is celebrating 27 years with this year’s theme Transformation reflecting Feast’s role in driving transformative social change through LGBTQIA+ visibility, creativity, and community connection.
“We celebrate queer stories because everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and loved,” says Feast CEO, Tish Naughton.
The Transformation theme is beautifully embodied in the 2024 program’s cover art designed by South Australian artist Lissy Elliot who used discarded dried paint pieces to symbolise how many in the LGBTQIA+ community often felt overlooked and rejected.
“I looked at the pieces of dried paint that were on their way to the bin and thought that all together they look amazing,” she says. “Similarly, even though we might feel discarded, when we come together through community events such as Feast we make something beautiful and new together. That’s the magic of transformation.”
Feast’s hero event, Picnic in the Park, will once again launch the festival on Saturday, November 9 at its stunning new location, Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla.
This year’s expanded program will feature roving entertainment and insightful talks from queer thinkers. A diverse crowd of over 4,500 people are expected to attend the family-friendly Picnic in the Park which will include the renowned Feast Dog Show, live DJs, a variety of entertainment, and ‘come and try’ activities like the handbag toss – offering a feast of fun to accommodate all tastes.
This year Feast launches the Adelaide Queer Film Festival which features a lineup of premieres, documentaries, and cult classics.
“We’re thrilled to be presenting 10 films, which is the biggest film program that Feast has had in over 15 years,” says Film Curator Dr Jess Pacella.
Among Dr Pacella and co-curator Dr Stuart Richards’s film festival highlights are:
- The South Australian premiere of The Astronaut Lovers and the Australian premiere of Perfect Endings – two delightful gay rom-coms.
- A special 35mm retrospective screening of the iconic Paris is Burning, a trailblazing documentary that ignited the New Queer Cinema movement.
- The seminal lesbian film Go Fish, a touchstone of 90s lesbian culture.
- The oceanic premiere of We Forgot to Break Up, featuring a trans lead playing a trans character.
- A Queer Horror double feature night with a contemporary Australian horror debut In The Room Where He Waits, and a cult classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.
“Queer films matter because for many, it’s the first place we see ourselves reflected, and if you’re not queer, it offers a beautiful window into the complexity of our lives,” says Dr Richards.
From November 22-24, the Feast Hub will take over the newly renovated The Piccadilly in North Adelaide featuring over 20 events, from comedy and spoken word to live music.
Headline acts include:
- Feminist and bestselling author Clementine Ford, winner of the Matt Richell Award for Best New Writer (2017).
- Spankie Jackzon, international drag superstar and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under (Season 2).
- Scout Boxall, winner of prestigious awards including Best Comedy (Adelaide Fringe 2023) and Best Emerging Artist (Melbourne Fringe 2019).
- Frankie McNair, winner of the New Zealand Tour Ready Award (Sydney Fringe Festival 2018) and Best Newcomer (Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022).
“We’re so excited to see the Feast Hub activated this year, especially as queer spaces in Adelaide have been closing. It’s more important than ever to have places where we can gather, make new friends, and connect with others,” says Naughton.
Feast’s regional circuit includes six events at Port Augusta, Peterborough, Clare, Burra and Mount Torrens.
Download the Feast Festival program and purchase tickets at feast.org.au
