Boston Queer Arts Festival

A celebration of the lgbtq+ humanities, artistry and community.

The inaugural Boston Queer Arts Festival, held from October 7–12, 2024, celebrated literature, humanities, music and history by showcasing a new generation of outstanding artists, writers, speakers, and archival materials. With our support, these voices and works reached broader audiences, offering a vibrant platform for queer creativity and storytelling. For a full week with 7 events, across 7 different premier venues and locations across the city. The festival paid tribute to the museum, as we marked our 1st anniversary.

The festival stems from our commitment to excellence and our goal of becoming an innovative art institution that showcases multidisciplinary mediums and creative practices. Featuring performances, archival exhibitions, book talks, and readings, the festival advances our mission of fostering culture by presenting year-round programming across multiple disciplines, extending beyond the Pride Month calendar. Now planned and funded by the City Boston Arts & Culture Office through 2026, the festival will continue to uplift local queer artists in Boston and throughout New England annually, while also attracting nationally recognized talent to reach audiences beyond state and national borders, positioning Boston as a culturally diverse destination.

Imagine if every arts organization in Boston and across Massachusetts joined forces in this festival.

Our vision is to build an international cultural phenomenon where participating institutions host queer-centered or queer-adjacent programming within their own spaces, during that week thereby becoming part of the festival lineup. Together, we can foster a more welcoming and vibrant queer culture in Boston. This movement is ours to create—let’s make it happen, together.