HAPPYLAND Festival, a fully-inclusive Pride celebration featuring drag, musical acts and carnival rides, returns to the PNE Amphitheatre and Playland Amusement Park on August 6, 2023. Now in its second year, the expanded all-ages event aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for attendees to fully and openly express themselves while enjoying music, performances, and community spirit.
This year’s HAPPYLAND is headlined by world-famous drag artist Trixie Mattel and Grammy-nominated drag queen and singer Pabllo Vittar, and hosted by local drag personality Venus, with the cast of ENBY6. Rounding out the star-studded performers: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Season 2) winner Alaska, American pop singer and songwriter Slayyyter, and Canada’s Drag Race (Season 1) champ Priyanka. Feature acts include Rogue, Kara Juku, MX Bukuru & Amy Grindhouse with sounds by Softieshan and Mygayhusband.
HAPPYLAND is a one-of-a-kind experience for festival-goers, with exclusive access to the concert venue and Playland’s thrill rides, plus unique amusement park vendors and fun food offerings. Ticket holders can enjoy additional festival attractions including a 19+ VIP section, a new food truck area, an alcohol-free zone, a merch area, and more.
The Good Night Out Street Team will be onsite to help curb incidents of gendered harassment, assist vulnerable patrons, and support the safety of all festival-goers.
“We started HAPPYLAND to give people of all ages a space to experience childlike wonder while safely expressing themselves in all of their Queer uniqueness and joy,” says Venus, HAPPYLAND host and co-founder. “HAPPYLAND was actually the original name for PLAYLAND. Now, it’s a Queer PNE takeover!”
The event, presented by Timbre Concerts and Sunrise Series, will be donating a portion of each ticket sold to Vancouver Pride Society and QMUNITY, who help support and facilitate funding for LGBTQAI2S+ community members, events and organizations.
To purchase HAPPYLAND Festival tickets click here.
ABOUT VANCOUVER PRIDE SOCIETY
Vancouver Pride Society (VPS) strives to produce events that reflect the pride the LGBTQAI2S+ community has in itself, by strengthening the sense of community and contributing to the vibrancy, health, and overall well-being of all persons in the community.
ABOUT VPS COMMUNITY BURSARY
The VPS Community Bursary is a way to redistribute the organization’s funds to local grassroots queer-serving organizations. This supports Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour programming by uplifting organizations that serve specific identities in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The Vancouver Pride Society is a not-for-profit committed to supporting community partners in multiple capacities through this program.
ABOUT QMUNITY
QMUNITY is BC’s Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Resource Centre. They are a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQAI+ people and their allies by providing a safe space, programs and services, and support for them to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included. Their building serves as a catalyst for community initiatives and collective strength.
ABOUT GOOD NIGHT OUT
Good Night Out is a BC-based non-profit society committed to building community capacity to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault in all sectors, with a focus on hospitality, music, arts and nightlife. The Good Night Out Street Team was created with the hopes that engaged peers who were skilled in bystander intervention could play a role in curbing incidents of gendered harassment and support the safety of women and vulnerable populations in Vancouver’s vibrant nightlife district. This nightlife street team is the first team of its kind in North America.