INTERNATIONAL STARS HEADLINE NEW ZEALAND’S BIGGEST QUEER PARTY

PROUD 2018: Saturday 17 February, 10pm

Auckland Pride’s official closing celebration is Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest LGBTIQ+ party! For the very first time, PROUD is taking over all levels of the state-of-the-art, multi-room Q Theatre venue – including a purpose-built outdoor courtyard and party entrance in the Lower Greys Avenue car park.

Featuring in-demand international DJ Dan Slater, original NYC rapper and DJ Le1f, and London-based neo-burlesque royalty Empress Stah – with a local DJ line-up that includes Dick Johnson, Jordan Eskra, Brown Boy Magik, Creamy Mami, James Leuii, Linda T, Ninety5, Wendy Douglas, Samuel Holloway, as well as live shows from FAFSWAG and Disco Bloodbath, plus a very special surprise performance on the night – PROUD 2018 will be LEGENDARY.

PROUD is pumped to bring you one of the world’s most in-demand gay DJs – Dan Slater! Now based out of the US, the studly Aussie’s superstar DJ status has risen stratospherically since his last New Zealand appearance in 2016. Perpetually in motion, Dan has headlined parties at Pride events all over the planet, including World Pride (Madrid), NYC Pride, San Francisco Pride, Munich Pride, Winter Party Festival (Miami), Prism Festival (Toronto), as well as Sydney Mardi Gras. A firm fan-favourite, Dan has been booked and re-booked to play the massive White Party Palm Springs for four years running! His remix of Cher’s I Walk Alone peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs in the US, and Dan has somehow found time to produce dancefloor remixes for artists including Britney Spears, Ultra Nate, Carmen Elektra, Alfie Arcuri and Marcia Hines.

Le1f (born Khalif Diouf) is a real deal original. He’s an out and proud gay MC whose dynamic rapping skills and forward-thinking approach to production have led industry heavyweights like The Fader, Spin and Pitchfork to praise his sound as the future of hip-hop. The Manhattan native studied ballet and modern dance, and earned a degree in dance from Wesleyan, before returning to the city to become a rapper. He’s the producer who’s responsible for the beat behind Das Racist’s Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, a fashion icon promoting a ‘hoodrat Tumblr aesthetic’, an internet personality on a transcendental quest to become a living digital avatar – and he’s bringing it all to the PROUD ballroom with an exclusive DJ set. Le1f is a key figure in a subset of openly gay NYC rappers, gaining exposure for their refreshing contributions to hip-hop that grew out of early 90s drag and ball culture. His underground single Wut went viral, and his debut full-length album, the confident, abrasive Riot Boi constructed a distinctive sound and eclectic persona that continues to challenge perceived boundaries.

Fasten your space belts! Internationally renowned aerial artist and neo-burlesque legend, Empress Stah is flying in from London to perform at PROUD. Described by the New York Times as, “a prismatic intersection of sex, circus and special effects”, Empress Stah’s iconic Stargasm / Light in Places collaboration with electro rock star Peaches features the world’s first laser butt-plug. Resident at the infamous Torture Garden fetish club in London, Empress Stah has shared the stage with Dita Von Teese and Cirque Du Soleil, headlined the superclub season at Pacha in Ibiza, and toured the world performing solo shows from New York to Tokyo.

Feel the love at the massive Auckland Pride Parade on Ponsonby Road – then get down to the heart of Auckland’s arts precinct for the queer party of the year – and grand finale to Auckland Pride 2018!

Q Theatre’s main doors on Queen Street are closed for the night. The PROUD party entrance will be located at the bottom of the Lower Greys Avenue car park, adjacent to the rear entrance to Q Theatre ­– enabling the creation of an atmospheric outdoor courtyard with a licensed bar, local DJs and performers, and large-scale projections courtesy of the FAFSWAG Arts Collective. Inside the cavernous and versatile Q Theatre venue, New Zealand’s largest and most experienced sound and lighting company, Oceania Productions, will be working together with Creative Ambiance Stage Technologies and Customised Project Solutions to bring you an idiosyncratic and immersive multi-room party experience.

Book your PROUD 2018 boarding pass and prepare for lift-off!

PROUD 2018
Saturday 17 February, 10pm (first show midnight)
Q Theatre (including outdoor courtyard)
Entrance via Lower Greys Ave, Auckland City
R18 ­– licensed venue; Lift access available for wheelchairs

Tickets available from Q Theatre, The Women’s Bookshop, Garnet Station and Blue Rose Café.
Presales: $55; Door sales (if not sold out): $60
To book, please visit qtheatre.co.nz or call 09 309 9771

For more information about the 2018 Auckland Pride Festival, please contact Festival Director Julian Cook: [email protected]

For more information, images and interviews contact:
Michelle Lafferty at Elephant Publicity
09 368 4180 or 027 295 6450 | [email protected]