Photo via NOLA Pride Center website
The New Orleans Pride Center will debut the first-ever Who Fab Fest on Sunday, April 12, bringing a vibrant celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ music and culture to The Broadside (600 N. Broad Street). Running from 1 to 5 p.m., the all-ages event invites community members and allies alike to gather for an afternoon of live music, performance and connection.
The inaugural festival will feature a diverse lineup of local artists, including Mia Borders, BJ So Cole, Ever More Nest, Drugstore Lipstick and Laveau Contraire, alongside drag and comedy performances. Food and art vendors will also be on site, creating a festival-style atmosphere that aims to reflect the breadth of New Orleans’ creative community. Tickets are available on a donate-what-you-can basis.
Who Fab Fest highlights the deep and lasting contributions of LGBTQ+ artists to New Orleans culture, honoring a lineage that stretches from pioneers like Tony Jackson and James Booker to contemporary icons such as Big Freedia. By bringing together both established and emerging performers across genres, from folk to bounce to punk, the festival aims to showcase the richness and diversity of the city’s musical landscape.
The event also serves as a fundraiser for the New Orleans Pride Center, which opened two years ago and provides vital resources including weekly LGBTQ+ youth groups and free mental health counseling. Organizers emphasize that the festival is not only a celebration, but also a space of resilience and visibility at a time when LGBTQ+ communities continue to face political and social challenges.
“Shared joy is a powerful act of resistance,” said NOPC Board President Kyle DeVries, underscoring the importance of creating inclusive spaces that uplift and support the community.
Tickets and additional information are available at tinyurl.com/whofab.