Mighty Hoopla 2025
Stepping into temporary world where joy is encouraged, queerness is celebrated, and every person is free to be as bold, loud, soft, or sparkly as they choose.
Brockwell Park in early June feels like a familiar London summer scene, until you step into Mighty Hoopla. Within minutes, it becomes clear that this isn’t just another festival. It feels like stepping into a temporary world where joy is encouraged, queerness is celebrated, and every person is free to be as bold, loud, soft, or sparkly as they choose.
The first thing you notice isn’t the music, it’s the atmosphere. Security and volunteers greet people with warmth instead of suspicion. Outfits range from sequined jumpsuits to feathered headdresses to casual T-shirts, and the energy around all of it is open admiration rather than judgement. Entire conversations are sparked by compliments. Strangers offer glitter or hairspray or help adjusting a costume. It’s rare to be in a space where people are not only allowed to take up space, but actively supported in doing so.
The music line up reflects that same inclusivity. Hoopla’s lineup jumps between eras, genres, and identities in a way that somehow makes perfect sense. A beloved 90s pop act can blend into a breakout queer artist. A drag performance might finish, and suddenly a major nostalgia act takes the stage. It’s unpredictable in the best way, and a reminder that expression through music can be both silly and transcendent.
What struck the most was the emotional connection between the performers and the audience. Multiple artists spoke openly about how meaningful it was to perform somewhere that understands and celebrates queerness without it needing to be explained. That shared understanding changed the energy in the crowd. People weren’t just watching performances; they were recognising themselves in them.
And beyond the music, Hoopla integrates the LGBTQ+ community into the structure of the festival. Independent queer businesses, charities, and support organisations are central. There are spaces to dance wildly and spaces to catch your breath, acknowledging that community care is as essential as celebration.
By the end of the festival feet ached, phones were full of blurry videos, and faces hurt from smiling. Mighty Hoopla didn’t just give great performances. It reminded its audience of what it feels like when joy is shared, not performed, and when inclusivity isn’t a corporate tagline but a lived reality.
It isn’t just a festival. It’s what happens when a community finally gets to be the main stage.
Theatre: Brockwell Park, London
Reviewer: Em Davison
Date: 31/05/2025
Stars: 5
