Following its groundbreaking debut, the Queer Performance Festival (QPF) returns to Berlin on 7 November 2026 at the historic Theater im Delphi. Setting out to interrogate the digital systems, political pressures, and physical spaces that shape contemporary queer life, the festival presents a rich two-day programme centred around this year’s theme, “404 Identity not found.” As a platform celebrating the art, resistance, and brilliance of queer expression, QPF brings together diverse disciplines and communities: from drag and ballroom to dance, ballet, spoken word, and contemporary circus. Multiplicity and intersectionality are at the core of its vision, as the festival collaborates directly with local communities, centres multiply marginalised queer perspectives, and advocates for more equitable working conditions and visibility structures across the performing arts.
This year’s theme explores how queer identity dissolves and re-forms in a digital age shaped by AI, algorithmic bias, and political backlash. As visibility is increasingly restricted both online and offline, the festival creates a vital space for resistance, connection, and new forms of belonging, reimagining identity beyond fixed categories through performance, technology, and the physical body.
The festival weekend kicks off on Friday, 6 November with a free Community Get-Together & Open Stage. Taking over Delphis Orakel, QPF transforms the historic silent film cinema into an open, accessible meeting point for the queer performance community. The evening features free skill-sharing workshops and an open stage with a pole ready for spontaneous acts, inviting singers, dancers, and performers to share the spotlight. Inspired by 404 Identity not found, it offers a welcoming space to connect, exchange, perform, or simply grab a drink between the bar and the stage, with free admission and donations warmly welcomed.
The festival’s main showcase takes centre stage on Saturday, 7 November, with a high-impact performance evening featuring stars from Berlin’s queer scene. Moving between digital worlds and physical bodies, the showcase blurs the lines between stage and street, art and activism. The initial lineup of confirmed artists includes drag artist Corazón, musician Lihla, ballroom artist and singer Mandhla, spoken word and video artist Ṣịkẹmi, interdisciplinary theatre and music artist Ruiqi Wang, and choir group D-Dur Dykes, with further acts to be announced.
Tickets for the Grand Showcase on 7 November are on sale now via Reservix. For more details and festival updates, visit the official QPF website or follow @queerperformancefestival
