Stargayzer Fest Moves Downtown

The StarGayzer Festival has been turning heads since word first began to spread of its existence. Today's big news for the three-day LGBTQIA music and performance fest? The queer extravaganza, happening Sept. 12-14, is moving Downtown.

The fest has ditched the campout option at Carson Creek Ranch due to safety concerns. According to producer and booker Brett Hornsby, “We had a lot of questions – especially from those traveling from out of town – about the heat. In the end we decided this just wasn’t the time of year for people to spend three days in Texas’ summer heat.” Without camping, the remote location no longer made sense, so the whole production will be held across three stages at Pine Street Station, site of the annual Queerbomb! rally, with an additional indoor stage around the corner at the North Door.

The decision to move the event could have positive consequences for LGBTQ moviegoers. When aGLIFF (the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, formerly known as Polari) shifted their usual dates to overlap the then-unannounced StarGayzer, attendance became an either-or prospect for most attendees. Relocating Downtown could prove convenient for those who wish to sample both events. Hornsby agrees, “I think it’s perfect. People can treat the whole thing as one big queer opportunity.”

Conveniently for the city mice among us who might prefer to attend one day, here are the daily headliners:

• Friday, Sept. 12: Trust, Kingdom, The Crystal Ark, Yo! Majesty, Christeene, and Big Dipper
• Saturday, Sept. 13: Big Freedia, Mykki Blanco, SSION, Cakes Da Killa, MikeQ, and Magic Mouth
• Sunday, Sept. 14: Austra, Xiu Xiu, Cazwell, Avan Lava, Hi-Fashion, Carletta Sue Kay, Logan Lynn, and Nakia

StarGayzer Festival will feature “over 120 internationally recognized artists, emerging acts, and an impressive array of performers from Austin's own queer music scene.” Three-day passes are now $80; one-day passes are $35. More info and tickets here.