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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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Goldie Boutilier
Courtesy Photo

Goldie Boutilier

Awards

Goldie Boutilier Leads List of Nominees For 2026 East Coast Music Awards: Full List

Other leading contenders are Daniel James McFadyen, Mallory Johnson and Cassie and Maggie. This year's event follows a year shrouded in controversy.

The East Coast Music Awards are back after a year of controversy.

The 2025 edition of the East Coast Music Awards was surrounded by controversy over the firing of the previous East Coast Music Association CEO Blanche Israël. Several artists boycotted the association's awards show and conference and called for transparency about governance and the nomination processes. In March 2025, the trade org published a six-point action plan, and later appointed former Great Big Sea member Bob Hallett as the new Executive Director.

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