MIGHTY HOOPLA

My First Hoopla - A gay person’s Glastonbury!

By Gary Campion

Until this year Mighty Hoopla was something I had to watch from afar on social media due to my life-changing accident, surgeries, and associated recovery time. Founded in 2016, it started at Butlins, then moved to Victoria Park, and finally to its current venue, Brockwell Park in south London in 2018.

30,000 like-minded people descend on the capital every June for two days of music, fun, and fashion in the summer sun! With freedom and expression at its heart, Mighty Hoopla has become the UK’s most fabulous extravaganza. Featuring more than 200 artists and performers across 10 stages embracing the best of pop, alternative, and queer culture, it is a party for all.

Previous years have seen a diverse mix of acts including Sugababes, Steps, Jessie Ware, Cheryl, Years & Years, Chaka Khan, TLC, and some pretty fantastic surprise appearances.

With an array of alternative club nights, cabaret collectives, and unique performances such as roaming comedy acts, vogueing troupes, orchestras, secret discos, and mass karaoke, this is the festival to expect the unexpected. Hoopla also provides a focus for emerging and established LGBTQ+ artists and performers, as well as delivering a safe and welcoming event for a diverse audience of attendees.

I flew from Belfast City Airport to Gatwick Airport to stay with my cousin, who had kindly agreed to be my +1 for the event. The plane was full of people who I can only assume were also heading to Hoopla, judging from all the short shorts on display, and the overpowering smell of Dior Sauvage that fragranced the plane for the entire journey.

Weather and outfits

Festivals are all about being prepared but also looking fabulous no matter the weather. At the time of planning my outfits, I was blissfully unaware of the impending mud bath due to heavy rains during the week up to the big weekend. The gays were in panic, mud and mud and mud-related memes were rife over social media, as a gay with a mobility-related disability I have to admit I was a little uncertain if the mud situation was going to be kind to my joints. Thankfully Hoopla and Brockwell had it covered, bark check, walkway panels check, last-minute email info pack and social media posts on correct footwear check. Now all I had to worry about was ensuring I looked fabulous but how far is too far with a Hoopla outfit?? The answer - nothing is out of bounds, the crazier, the camper, the more colourful and imaginative the better. other gals and gays of Hoopla upped their outfit game even more so, with more skin, more muscles and more sparkle on show like queer peacocks on heat….I loved it!

Day one I had intended to have a bespoke purple metallic hooded Cowl style top with baggy parachute pants with LED rave glasses for my first night but disaster struck not once but twice! My top wasn’t right for the cooler wet weather. My LED glasses were damaged during my flight, so I opted for my backup: a homemade tie-dyed long-sleeve top with a vest underneath (for a bit of added warmth). A pair of brown leopard visor style glasses, my planned baggy parachute pants and some stick-on pridethemed face diamonds, it worked albeit tamer than some of the phenomenal outfits I came across. A special shout-out to one of my many random Temu buys rubber trainer covers, they worked a treat, dry feet and trainers!

Day two thankfully went to plan mainly due to the drying up of the earlier mentioned mud baths and the beautiful warm sunshine that was present the whole day: A white vest with a long-sleeved cream crochet top with hand-sewn gold sequined winged shoulder patches, cream denim cargo pants and clear colour-changing light-up visor glasses, I thought I looked great and ready for the press pits and accessibility platforms. With the sun out the

Food, Cocktails, Merch and Brand Stands and More!

As with any festival, it is all about the catering, alcohol and the merch and Hoopla did not disappoint, though with it being a cashless event I was tapping my card like I had all the money in the world!

Food options ranged from cheesy chips to vegetarian and plant-based dishes, catering to all tastes. The event was cashless, so I found myself using my card frequently. I recommend budgeting around £50-£75 per day for food, as dirty chips cost roughly £12-£14 and ice-cream ranges from £4-£12 depending on the type and brand.

Various drinks, including cocktails, beers, champagne, teas, coffees, hot chocolates, and soft drinks, were readily available throughout the site. When it comes to alcoholic drinks, I suggest pre-drinking and then topping up at the vendors to save some money, as some of the alcoholic offerings can be a little pricey. Small tins of cocktails were around £10.50 each, and soft drinks averaged about £4.

I am going to sound a little like my mother here and say whatever you are drinking make sure to line your stomach and eat a little something throughout the day, can’t have you ending up in the medical tent and missing half the festival!

Brands - It was great to see so many mainstream brands supporting the festival and the community. Vodafone, Moet & Chandon, Lidl, Costa Coffee, Moth: and DHL were all there with all sorts of free and paid-for products, services and Merch.

Merch Stands: They were selling everything from hoodies, t-shirts, vintage clothing, umbrellas, and blankets. I got the last blanket on the colder first night much to the horror of a few teehee! My personal favourites were the merch stands belonging to Dragged Out London with their kitschy fans with various slogans. I went with an “Am I the Drama?” fan during the heat of the second day and the Official Mighty Hoopla stand, I had seen amazing hoodies earlier on the first half of Saturday, but by the time I got there again later that evening, they were all gone, this made me sad! I cheered myself up with 2 T-shirts on the Sunday.

The Mighty Hoopla 2024 lineup summary:

What an absolute explosion of music, energy, and fabulous performances, it was everything I expected and more! Let’s dive into the highlights of this year’s highlights:

Starting strong, Jessie Ware graced the main stage to close the festival with a headline set that established her as the ultimate ‘mother’ figure to the Hoopla crowd. Fans were on their feet grooving to hits like “Free Yourself,” “Freak Me Now,” and “Save a Kiss”, and the surprise appearance of Beth Ditto for a duet of Gossip classic “Standing in the Way of Control,” just took the energy to a whole new level.

Rita Ora proved why she’s a pop sensation with a career spanning over a decade, delivering electrifying performances of songs like “Praise You,” “I Will Never Let You Down,” and “Your Song.” Rachel Stevens of S Club 7 fame made a triumphant solo comeback, treating fans to beloved classics like “Sweet Dreams My LA Ex.”

The Hayu stage was equally lit, with Delta Goodrem headlining and leading sing-along sessions with “Born To Try,” and “Lost Without You”. Countess Luann and boyband V brought their unique vibes to the stage, creating moments to remember. Louise and Kéllé Bryan’s reunion performance was a heartwarming blast from the past for Eternal Fans. The addition of Queertopia brought a whole new dimension to the festival, with exciting LGBTQIA+ artists like Lynks, Walt Disco, and Geo Jordan showcasing their talents under the afternoon sun.

Saturday didn’t disappoint either, with UK exclusive headliner Nelly Furtado delivering a set filled with nostalgic hits like “Say It Right,” “Maneater,” and “I’m Like a bird.” Surprise guest Alesha Dixon blew the stage up with a Mis-teeq megamix and iconic performances from the R&B legends En Vogue, 80’s legends Bananarama, Eve and others kept the party vibes alive. The celebration of queer nightlife and drag performers across The Hayu Stage and Pleasure Palace added a unique flair to the festival, with Drag Race Winner Tia Kofi and the Cocoa Butter Club serving up fabulous entertainment. S

Steps vocal powerhouse Claire Richards headlined the HeyU Stage with power vocal performances of her solo and Steps hits, even bringing Sunday HeyU headliner Delta Goodrem out for their rendition of “No More Tears (Enough is Enough). Cher Lloyd embraced the now-famous “Cher Lloyd by Cher Lloyd” YouTube video as the intro to her stellar performance after a 2 year break from the industry.

Rising star Bambie Thug brought a spellbinding performance with anthems ‘Doomsday Blue’ and ‘Tsunami’, while the self-proclaimed “inventor of gaypop” Jojo Siwa captivated the crowd with her UK festival debut of ‘Karma’.

No festival would be a festival without VIP guests in attendance; guests at this year’s Hoopla included Andrew Scott, Ashley Roberts, Cara Delevinge, Jonathan Bailey, Clara Amfo, Jade Thirlwall, Nicola Coughlan, Katie Price, Jedward and more.

Some of the top highlights for me personally were:

• The House Gospel Choir brought not only the sunshine but so much fun, joy and soul to the HayU Stage on the Sunday.

• Getting to finally see Louise perform live, she brought it and more, the teenage boy with her posters over his walls may just have wee’d a little in excitement lol!

• The Legends, the icons En Vogue - timeless! They looked and sounded fantastic and really held their own against their younger fellow headliners.

• Rita Ora’s performance - before Hoopla I liked some of her songs but didn’t really think much of her past that, this woman put on not just a show but full live vocals while being fully in time with her dance troop and looking shit hot…. Rita, you have earned a fully-fledged fan!

• Cher Lloyd - she proved that she has more than the X-Factor and had the crowd eating every minute of her performance up, I wish the UK would give her more recognition.

• Six the Musical - bringing the West End stage to the HeyU stage!

• Tia Kofi - “Outside in” and those dancers! That is all!

• Last but not least a special mention has to go to Barrioke featuring Barry from Eastender in the Pleasure Palace. This brought so much joy and fun to not just my cousin and I but the packed-out tent and beyond!

Overall, this year’s lineup was a whirlwind of music, fun, and inclusivity that showcased a stellar lineup of talented artists and brought people together to celebrate the magic of music and performance. From electrifying headliners to soul-stirring reunions and emerging LGBTQIA+ talent, the festival was a true feast for the senses and a reminder of the power of music to unite us all.

Would I go again? Who am I trying to kid, I’ve my tickets and accommodation booked for next year! You can get further information on how to get 2025 tickets and more at www. mightyhoopla.com

We spoke to some of the performers, here are some Pride messages

JoJo Siwa - “Love is awesome, you can be in love with whoever you want to be in love with and it should be celebrated. If you want to fall in love with a girl, if you want to fall in love with a boy, if you want to fall with somebody who is a they\them or who is non-binary that is incredible! Happy Pride GNI!”

Louise - “I am always so happy to be such a supporter of Pride, love, kindness and respect. Happy Pride Everyone!”

Cher Lloyd - “Do what makes you happy, be with who makes you smile, laugh as much as you breathe, and love as long as you live, love you!”

Bambi Thug - “Pride is important to me, we should have pride for more than just one month, we should have pride all the time. It allows us a space to not give a shit because we are safe, and it gives us the opportunity to all come together as a community and learn from each other, there is still a lot of work that we need to do within our community and pride gives us the platform to do that. I love feeling free and watching us all come together being unashamedly ourselves. My pride message to the GNI Readers is oooh you sexy mutha fuckers, you’re queer, you’re Irish, you are already winning! I know it is difficult in Ireland because there are people still stuck in old patterns of thought and aren’t always so accepting, but don’t forget your voice matters, you are absolutely loved and I love you endlessly…..love you, love you love you never stop being you, all go goth right now come on!”

Countess Luann - “Happy pride to all my LGBTQ fans, I will be celebrating with you, remember Love Is Love!”

Beth McCarthy - “If you wave a pride flag at me on tour you best believe I’ll do a weird, awkward dance with it! Double points for anyone with a Bi flag! Have the best pride ever!”

Walt Disco - “Pride is important to us particularly this month with an election coming up as there is a huge rhetoric against trans people in the headlines trying to score points, trans and queer people just need reminding that there isn’t as much hate as the press make out there to be. Events like Hoopla and Pride where everyone loves you and respects you are really important to our community. We can’t wait to see you all again in Ireland, we always feel so akin with you all as fellow Celts Happy Pride!”