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Concerts

Toronto Queer Music Festival Lavender Wild Gets Slayyyter, Rebecca Black for Summer Dance Party

Ari Hicks, Makayla Couture and more will take the stage at History for a sweaty August event, with proceeds going towards 2SLGBTQI+ charity The Get Real Movement as well as Toronto's Glad Day Bookshop, the oldest queer bookstore in the world.

Slayyyter

Slayyyter

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With Pride month in full swing, Toronto queer music festival Lavender Wild has announced a sizzling new event for later this summer.

"Starfucker" singer Slayyyter will headline the August 24 celebration at Toronto's History club, with queer musician and "Friday" singer Rebecca Black DJing, while Canadian drag queens Makayla Couture and Naomi Leone also bringing their star quality to the stage.


Proceeds from the event will go towards 2SLGBTQI+ charity The Get Real Movement, which combats discrimination in schools and workplaces, as well as to Toronto's Glad Day Bookshop, the world's oldest queer bookstore. Glad Day is facing possible eviction and fundraising to keep its doors open as it plans its next era.

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Lavender Wild, an initiative of Live Nation, had its first edition in 2023, which was less dance focused, bringing international stars like Hayley Kiyoko, G Flip and Girl In Red to Toronto, as well as programming Canadian artists like myst milano. and Shawnee Kish. The festival prioritizes hiring 2SLGBTQI+ labour on-stage and off, including videographers, vendors, photographers and more.

The 2024 edition will swap last year's Echo Beach location for History, promising to be a sweet and sweaty night at the club.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 21 on the Lavender Wild site.

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Saya Gray
Jennifer Cheng
Saya Gray
Awards

20-Song Long List Announced for New SOCAN Polaris Song Prize

The new accolade will award the best Canadian song chosen by a jury of the nation’s critics. Tracks by Kaytranada, Saya Gray, Mustafa, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more are competing for the $10,000 prize.

For the first time in 2025, the Polaris Music Prize is going to a song.

The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize has unveiled its 20-nominee long list. Like the Polaris Music Prize, which honours one Canadian album based solely on artistic merit, this one does the same but for an individual track. Similarly, the Song Prize will be voted on by the members of the Polaris jury without regard to musical genre, label affiliation or commercial popularity.

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