WHOLE – United Queer Festival 2023

This year, the festival sees an expansion with a capacity for 3000 extra people in comparison to last year, holding space for a total of 8000 visitors. For its musical program, WHOLE invited 31 collectives, uniting Berlin’s queer electronic music scene with 15 collectives from the global queer electronic music scene.

The festival is a celebration of those collectives internationally, that create safe spaces for the community and use dance as a tool for socio-political movement each in their own country and therewith: create queer acceptance. WHOLE unites all of those scenes to celebrate the queer community’s milestones and its fight, to exchange knowledge, discuss relevant topics within the community, grow, connect, learn from each other and dive deeper into queer identity through a diverse range of workshops, panels, art, performance and musical exchange.

Amongst the international collectives this year are crews ranging from countries like Uganda, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, the USA, the UK, Turkey, Japan, Ukraine, the Netherlands to China. New on this year’s line-up are Istanbul’s Nene H-run-queer-party “Sirän”, Amsterdam’s fast-paced queer house rave collective “de Reünie”, Barcelona’s FLINT* & queer party “MARICAS”, Brazil’s queer collective that holds steady ground in the country’s PoC community “Batekoo”, Mexico City’s queer & underground “Por Detroit”, London’s all-female collective “Pussy Palace”, and WHOLE looks more to the emerging Asian scene, with Tokyo’s queer & femme party reshaping nightlife “Waifu”, Tokyo’s queer & sex-positive party “Slick” and Chengdu’s “Seafood”.

New German collectives on the line-up are the renowned and uncompromising collective of Berlin’s “Herrensauna”, Berlin’s BlPoC community celebrating bass music “Emergent Bass”, Berlin’s queer Latinx party “Puti club”, Berlin’s new on-the-scene queer party “Lunchbox Candy” and Berlin’s body-positivity rave “Body language”.

The collectives will be spread out over a total of six stages, which will be in a different formation than the previous year. An extra stage will be added on the peninsula this year, which will be “The Arena”. This stage is surrounded by cranes and will focus on techno music. “The Crane Stage”, which previously hosted the techno stage, will now host bass music. Queer parties in musical diversity are expanding and WHOLE would like to become more inclusive in its musical offer. Expect a selection of Brazilian funk, 2-step, neo-perreo and breakbeat. The forest stage will now move to another spot and become the “Antenna Floor”, focussing on 4×4, house and eclectic music. Somewhere in the forest, the Ambient Stage will be back, creating an enchanting place to cool down, heal, introspect and rest. The beach floor will remain in the same spot and offer a wide range of house music.

Some of the new notable names on the line-up this year include Cormac, Dr. Rubinstein, Sedef Adasi, DJ FuckOff, DJ Gigola, BADSISTA, Nene H, Valentina Luz, Tijana T., JASSS, JakoJako, DJ Fart in The Club, Bored Lord, Lolsnake, Narciss, Omoloko and Kiernan Laveaux.

The performance program for this year is centred around the theme of “Dreamscapes”. Here the world of dreams is explored and the many ways they impact one’s life. They also represent one’s deepest desires, hopes, and aspirations. At this stage, the power of dreams is celebrated as a force for positive change in our lives. This stage offers a unique blend of performances that will take the visitor on a journey through the diverse oniric landscapes, where one looks into the mystical and enigmatic through art, music, and performance.

WHOLE will organize a diverse range of workshops spread out over the weekend, where we dive deeper into the meaning of being queer. There will be interactive workshops and talks. Some of the talks will include those about the limits of identity politics, what left politics of intersectionality could look like with independent media outlet Novara Media, about why trans liberation means liberation for all with Shon Faye, and best-selling author Emma Dabiri will talk about racial justice and coalition building.

The solidarity program this year also sees expansion. The initiative provides a free festival experience to members of WHOLE’s community who are most affected by systematic & economic disparities. This means prioritizing those with little to no disposable income. WHOLE makes space for refugees, POC & black people, trans & gender-expansive individuals, people with a disability and those who experience fatphobia. Any potential visitor that faces economic barriers based on their identity or presentation is encouraged to apply. Where in the previous year 65 people received a ticket, this year in total 100 people will receive a free festival ticket, bus transportation to and from Berlin, food vouchers, drink tokens, plus camping gear. In 2022, WHOLE focussed on Berlin-based queers, but this year the application process is opened to those residing in the rest of Germany and within the EU. Furthermore, travel stipends will be provided to those coming from other parts of Germany & the EU.

The WHOLE app will be updated and feature a map of the festival, a timetable, a list of artists, crews and their background information as well as an overview of the performances, talks, workshops and activities. The app will also include a page with live updates, FAQ, information about health & safety, a forum allowing visitors to ask any questions to the team and each other, as well as an SOS button that visitors can use to call the aid tent in case of emergency.

Tickets HERE
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