MAIN HALL - DAYTIME
Hosted by Asifa Lahore, accompanied by DJ Ritu, the main hall will be a free daytime programme of live performances and a panel discussion.
Please book your free ticket for the daytime programme in advance
Programme
WELCOME AND OPENING PROCESSION LED BY ASIFA LAHORE
1pm - Main Hall - free to attend
Asifa Lahore is a drag artist, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be LGBT, South Asian and Muslim.
Asifa will open the festival with a set full of Classic Bollywood, singalongs, live vocals and Desi fashion. This will be followed by a parade style procession around the venue where everyone is encouraged to join in and walk with pride.
THE SHAKTI PANEL: PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE
1:45pm - Main Hall - free to attend
Featuring Rita Hirani, Parminder Sekhon & Poulami Desai
This all female panel represents a combined wealth of knowledge and lived experience of the history of the British South Asian Queer community. The festival’s theme of Shakti has major reflections and connotations to the 1980s and early 1990s, especially for the South Asian queer community, with Shakti also being the name of the first support organisation set up for this community. Before we look to the future, it is important to acknowledge and remember the unsung heroes that were brave enough to establish our community in the UK during this time.
KAAJEL PATEL & BOLLYSASS
2:30pm - Main Hall - free to attend
BollySass is an empowering and risqué dance group, featuring a cocktail of Cabaret, Bollywood, Burlesque and Ancient Indian temple dance. Their unique choreography and dance acts are alluring, captivating and full of surprises!
DJ RITU
3pm / 4pm / 5pm / 6pm - Main Hall - free to attend
DJ set from DJ Ritu, a pioneering globe-trotting music guru and turntablist. She is renowned as a Bollywood & World Music specialist, and was a key founder of the Asian Underground Scene.
Neo10y
3:30pm - Main Hall - free to attend
NEO 10Y is a recording artist and spiritual revolutionary from London. Their purpose is to manifest a protopian dimension of peace through the expansion of love energy. With Indian ancestry and Vedic philosophies, NEO 10Y’s songs are empowering, anthemic and liberated.
SHAKTI SHOWCASE
4:30 pm - Main Hall - free to attend
This powerful collective celebrates the best of South Asian Queer Drag & Cabaret, creating a special and unique showcase inspired by this year’s festival theme ‘Shakti’, featuring:
Minara Èl Waters
A South Eastern desi princess in a western world, from Dhaka to Dalston to Bengali Dancing Diva.
Duniya Dhoom
The South Asian princess, and a fun dancing diva that interlocks her modern pop music with classic Bollywood tracks.
Bolly Illusion
A drag artist storming the cabaret world, infusing their Indian heritage and bringing sass to the dance floor.
Dosa Cat
Taking Kathak beyond the traditional realms, Raheem Payne blends his traditional Kathak training with Cabaret and Drag Artistry.
Val The Brown Queen
A vibrant Muslim drag sensation hailing from Manchester, captivating audiences with her uproarious performances.
Lucky Roy Singh
An Award Winning LGBTQ+ Activist and Campaigner, and the UK'S top Indian Sikh Drag Queen.
ASIFA LAHORE
5:30pm - Main Hall - free to attend
Asifa Lahore came into the national spotlight in 2014 when she appeared on BBC Three Free Speech and asked the question “When will it be ok to Muslim and Gay?”. Within the last year, she also went viral on TikTok. During this set, Asifa will treat the audience to her live vocals, crowd pleasing songs and hilarious banter.
HOLI with SHIVA RAICHANDANI
6:30 pm - Main hall and outdoor space
Shiva Raichandani is a BAFTA-nominated, multidisciplinary non-binary artist working across film, television, and stage, and has been a dance choreographer and educator for over 12 years across Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, and the United Kingdom. Shiva will be performing and facilitating an interactive Holi inspired performance, offering a space for rainbows of colour and shared joy to fill the air, a vibrant expression of freedom and identity unbound by societal expectations.