If you’re, like us, awaiting Sydney WorldPride, you may find yourself feeling a wee bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of bloody good parties that are currently sitting on the proverbial table. Amongst all the high-powered, big-star numbers (ahem: Kylie and Kelly Rowland), there are also a number of hidden party gems that we reckon deserve just as much attention.
Enter: Day For Night: The Pleasure Arc.
This obscurely (and saucily) named event is a 24-hour long series of continuous queer ceremonies, performances and parties within Carriageworks – that, in all honesty, looks set to blow our collective minds. Presented by Performance Space and Sydney WorldPride, this wild experience is all about delirious immersive partying (think Berlin, but without the hefty airfare) and celebrating queer performers, artists and culture from all across Australia and Asia in a way that hasn’t been done before.
This is a party where you can dip in, and dip out.
Starting at noon on Saturday, February 18 and running continuously (that’s right, there’s no curtain call) to noon Sunday, February 19, this event is all about multi-layered experiences. If you stay for the full 24-hours, you’ll find yourself swept away from brunch, to the club, to kick-ons, and then back to the club again, with this curated show full of heady dancing, jaw-dropping performances and saucy surprises that promise to thrill and delight you through the rising and setting of one sun. (Plus, there’s snacks).
The extraordinary line-up includes (amongst many others) Western Sydney ballroom artistic ensemble, House of Slé; nightlife superlord and brains behind Sydney’s ‘Leak Your Own Nudes’ parties Kelly Lovemonster; and Basija, a queer Black performer and creative whose movement is all about sensuality and an ode to the endurance and divinity of Black women’s bodies throughout time and history.
You can also expect to party alongside renowned sex clown Betty Grumble, who will be performing for 24-hours straight without stopping in her own 24 Hour Grumble Boogie in Bay 20. Grumble’s wild antics have thrilled and shocked audiences for a long time, but this show is different to any other she’s done before. Within the 24-Hour Grumble Boogie you’ll get the chance to dance, meditate and move alongside DJ HipHopHoe and a whole host of fabulous performers, all led by the queen of subversion herself.
Time Out hit up Day for Night’s 12-hour edition late last year, and in our experience, this party was like entering an alternate universe where anyone, and anything felt possible. If you like feeling totally included, safe and seen, and are interested in how long you can last in an otherworldly party dimension, then think about doing this this weekend. You won’t regret it.
General tickets (excluding the Betty Grumble experience) cost $65, and you can buy one here. You can purchase a ticket bundle for both events for $76.
