Coastal Twist LGBTIQA+ Arts & Culture Festival
This September 27 – October 3rd sees the Coastal Twist LGBTIQA+ Arts & Culture Festival more than double the fun and mayhem across seven days and nights with 14 events for all ages and abilities with 75% of the festival free across Umina Beach, Woy Woy, Ettalong Beach and Gosford.
This year’s Festival theme is ‘Be the Change’ is a call to action, for all people regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ability or skin colour to come together and celebrate for a happier, healthier, and more welcoming Central Coast, highlighting we can all partake, be visible and have the power to make change and create the reality we wish to live in.
“Our 1st festival saw Coasties and tourists from far and wide, we want everyone to feel welcome and explore, from families coming along bringing their kids to Drag Storytime & entering their dogs at the Puparazzi Pooch Parade, everyone up for a good time, good food, music, reinforcing a better way for the future. This Festival is inclusive & the A in the LGBTIQA+ stands for Allies who are a big part of the journey in attaining such quick change on the Coast, much like when Australia voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage, the Coast has moved away from the restrictive gatekeeper models and community finally able to speak for itself in measurable ways such as bums on seats, families on rugs, people on the dance floors, rainbow displays on shopfronts.
Coastal Twist LGBTIQ Arts & Culture festival exploded onto the Central Coast in 2019 as a locally made, original fun for everyone way of entertaining and connecting Coasties and visitors, families and party goers, teens, and seniors. Originally 3 days with 7 events anticipating around 800 people the festival instead drew over 7,500 visitors from around the world across the weekend. In 2022 and proudly supported by a $53,611 grant through the NSW Government’s Regional Events Acceleration Fund, which aims to support the social and economic recovery and prosperity of Regional NSW Coastal Twist has been able to extend to across 7 days and nights with 14 events to include a beach picnic party day, theatre, dance, Live music, Cabaret, family activities, a LGBTIQ Youth teen area and even a special Innovation workshop with IBM whose footprint in the region includes partnering with high schools with their Global P-TECH program.
2022 also sees internationally famed electro pop headliners Electric Fields at the “Coastie Fair day”. Despite 2 COVID postponements the festival is already enshrined as one of the most unique and much loved “original quirky Australiana” experiences and will be featured in 2023 in an upcoming UK travel Atlas featuring 500 of the World’s best Festival Destinations to Visit.
Many ways that everyone can participate in the festival this year, Businesses with street frontage can be a part of creating the Festival vibes on the streets with the return of the Window Display competition, so many great prizes to help boost the visibility of your business, 1st prize a Hit101.3FM promotional package, 2nd an advertising campaign with Central Coast Newspapers or 3rd a printing voucher from Erina Signarama.
If you think your pooch has got what it takes sign them up in the Pooch Parade. Let’s get our Twist on!! 15 Events across 7 days, free & ticketed, all ages, family friendly fun as well as Quirky 18+ Dance, theatre, Comedy happenings. Full schedule of events as well as RSVP for free events and dog parade registration, volunteer sign up and raffle. www.coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on