‘Gay fantasy football.’ Wynwood Pride drafts Azealia Banks, Marina to headline music festival
The rainbow flags are flying high. The mimosas are flowing. The drag queens are sweating. In Miami, June means “Queerchella.”
Wynwood Pride, the neighborhood’s LGBTQ Pride festival, announced this year’s lineup. Alongside dozens of local drag artists and famed “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queens, the festival headliners are British pop star Marina and rapper Azealia Banks, a native New Yorker who moved to the Magic City last year.
The three-day festival kicks off Friday, June 10, with music and drag performances at the RC Cola Plant, a graffiti-filled venue that used to be an abandoned soda factory.
Wynwood Pride began in 2019. This year, the celebration is returning to its Coachella-inspired, music festival roots, said co-founders Jor-El Garcia and José Atencio.
The first two days of Wynwood Pride are a music festival, which requires tickets for entry. Besides performances, the festival includes vendors, art installations and the return of Miss Toto’s Funhouse, a boxing ring where drag artists will lip- sync battle. The third day, Sunday, is a “neighborhood takeover” of free events at Wynwood businesses and venues, including R House, Oasis and 1-800-Lucky.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Equality Florida, an LGBTQ-rights nonprofit that is fighting the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Last year, Wynwood Pride raised $28,000 for charity, the co-founders said.
Since the pandemic and hostile political climate over the last couple of years, Garcia and Atencio said the festival is an opportunity for the LGBTQ community to come together, support each other and celebrate.
“There’s so much division out there right now that it just makes sense to just have everyone come together,” Garcia said. “It’s just what our mission is right now.”
The fest is known to attract big names in the LGBTQ community to Miami, like pop star Charli XCX last summer. The year’s lineup features raunchy rapper CupcakKe, hyperpop singer Slayyyter, DJ Alex Chapman and “Drag Race” stars Violet Chachki and Gottmik. Much of the lengthy list of performers includes stars from Miami’s thriving drag scene, like Miss Toto, Athena Dion, Juicy Love, Kat Wilderness and FKA Twink.
Picking this year’s lineup was like drafting for “gay fantasy football,” Atencio said, jokingly. Event organizers wanted heavy hitters, and anyone who was on Tumblr in the 2010s needs no introduction to the headliners.
Marina, formally known as Marina and the Diamonds, is performing in Miami for the first time at Wynwood Pride on June 11, Garcia said.
“She’s a true LGBT ally and icon,” Atencio added.
Azealia Banks, who can be seen rollerblading around town in a bikini on Instagram, is performing June 10.
“We wanted to bring some flavor into our lineup,” Atencio said. “Azealia Banks is gay culture. She has such iconic hits.”
Though Banks is lauded for her talent and house beats, she’s no stranger to bouts of controversy, Twitter beef and transphobic statements. Still, Garcia noted that she has apologized for her past behavior and should be allowed to redeem herself.
“We believe in redemption culture, not cancel culture,” Garcia said.
Regardless of past controversies, Banks, who is bisexual, has retained an LGBTQ fan base. In a 2018 interview with the Breakfast Club, host Charlamagne told Banks that he heard she makes “music for gays.”
“I do,” she said, followed by awkward silence. “What’s wrong with that?” (There is nothing wrong with that.)
FKA Twink, a local drag artist and Lady Gaga devotee, said she’s looking forward to hitting the stage just before Banks’ performance.
This year’s festival is especially meaningful for the young drag artist. It’ll be the first time she’s performing a large dance number since suffering a knee injury months ago. Now, she’s ready to give Wynwood the full Lady Gaga fantasy.
“People are just going to have a blast,” FKA Twink said. “We’re gonna slay a little too hard.”
Wynwood Pride
When: June 10-12
Show times: Friday, June 10, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, June 11, noon to 3 a.m.
Where: RC Cola Plant. 550 NW 24th St., Miami
Price: Tickets for June 10-11 start at $50
Info: https://wynwoodpride.com/
This story was produced with financial support from The Pérez Family Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM.