Welcome to The Queer Review’s new monthly guide to LGBTQ+ cultural happenings in New York City, London, Sydney, Berlin, and beyond.

Feb 4-15 – Isaac Mizrahi: I Know Everybody – Café Carlyle, New York

Isaac Mizrahi returns for his ninth winter engagement at Café Carlyle with his signature blend of humor, storytelling, and song. Beyond his shows at the Carlyle, Mizrahi has made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer, and producer for over 30 years. Most recently, he starred as Amos in the Broadway production of Chicago. Tickets are available now via Tock.

Feb 6 – Joey Arias: Sex & Magic Metal Luv 3 – Joe’s Pub, New York

Joey Arias, the legendary performer who has pushed the boundaries of music, fashion, art, and queer culture throughout a career that spans more than five decades, returns to Joe’s Pub with his latest show. Read more & purchase tickets at PublicTheater.org.

Feb 7 – Feb 9 – 10th Annual BroadwayCon – New York Marriott Marquis

Highlights include: Cast & Creative of Cats “The Jellicle Ball” on The Wrong Cat Died Podcast discussing their historic production on Saturday, February 8th at 12pm. Host Mike Abrams will be joined by directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch along with performers Sydney James Harcourt, Dudney Joseph Jr., and Robert “Silk” Mason. Presented by Broadway Podcast Network. Writing Wicked: Gregory Maguire and Winnie Holzman Tell All on Sunday, February 9th at 12pm. Explore the creation of Wicked with two of its masterminds: Gregory Maguire, author of the novel that reimagined Oz, and Winnie Holzman, who adapted his words into the beloved Broadway musical as well as the Oscar-nominated movie. This panel will highlight the challenges of bringing Wicked to life across page, stage and screen. Moderated by David Benkof, Salamishah Tillet and Stacy Wolf, topics are set to include the origins of the story and its lasting cultural impact. For the full BroadwayCon 2025 schedule and to purchase weekend or day passes head to BroadwayCon.com.

February 11-16 – Phaidon x BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Gallery Café, London

BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! celebrates UK LGBTQ+ History Month by collaborating with global publishing house Phaidon who will take over the Gallery Café to showcase new books on artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, Paul Cadmus, Jim Hodges, Cerith Wyn Evans, Anthony Cudahy, Cerith Wyn Evans, and Catherine Opie. Read more at BoysBoysBoys.org.

Feb 13–March 10 – Queer Screen’s 32nd annual Mardi Gras Film Festival – Sydney & online across Australia

Queer Screen’s 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival runs in Sydney cinemas from February 13th to 27th, with select films available on demand across Australia from February 28th to March 10th, 2025. Read our MGFF highlights article. Tickets are on sale now at queerscreen.org.au.

Feb 14 – Jinkx Monsoon – Carnegie Hall, New York

Show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day by experiencing Jinkx Monsoon’s Carnegie Hall debut directed by her frequent collaborator BenDeLaCreme. The award-winning actress and vocalist will be joined by a first-rate band as she performs original songs and inspired covers ranging from cabaret, blues, show tunes, and torch songs to high-energy rock and pop. For more details and to purchase tickets head to CarnegieHall.org.

Feb 14-July 27 – Young Joon Kwak: RESISTERHOOD – Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, New York

Young Joon Kwak’s RESISTERHOOD will include new commissions and works made over the past ten years, a series of neon sculptures for the Museum’s public window gallery, and a soundscape composed by Xina Xurner (Kwak and Marvin Astorga) with Johanna Hedva, Anna Luisa, and Dorian Wood. Taken together, these artworks are a mobilizing call for a new politics of queer and trans resistance: embracing playful erotics, and celebrating imperfection, abjection, ambiguity, and uncategorizable ways of looking and being. Find more details at leslielohman.org.

Feb 14-March 2 – Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival

Celebrating 47 years of Sydney Mardi Gras, the festival will run for 17 days featuring international performers, parties, theatre, community events including Fair Day, and culminating in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday, March 1st, 2025. This year’s festival theme is “Free To Be” and described by organizers as “a celebration of the strides toward true LGBTQIA+ equality” as well as “a global reminder that our fight is far from over and that we are not truly free until we are all free to be”. For the full Festival calendar head to MardiGras.org.au.

Feb 17 – Jennifer Simard & Christopher Sieber Pete ‘n’ Keely concert performance – Carnegie Hall, New York

A concert performance of the Off-Broadway hit Pete ‘n’ Keely, a heartfelt, hilarious, and playfully knowing throwback to the variety shows of the 1960s. Reimagined by Broadway favorites Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber, who will bring the tale and the tunes of the eponymous Steve-and-Eydie–esque couple to fabulous new life. For more details and to purchase tickets head to CarnegieHall.org.

Feb 21 – Teddy Award Ceremony & Party – Volksbühne Berlin

Celebrating the queer films at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, running February 13th to 23rd, the Volksbühne Berlin will once again play host to “the most spectacular and glamorous queer party of the Berlinale” on February 21st. Now in its 39th year, the Teddy is world’s oldest and most prestigious queer film award. This year’s jury includes Frameline’s Allegra Madsen, journalist Jan Künemund, and Sheffield DocFest’s Raul Niño Zambrano. The 2025 Special Teddy Award for outstanding achievements and contributions to cinema will go to auteur Todd Haynes, who a won the Best Feature Teddy for Poison in 1991.

The complete festival lineup including showtimes and venues will be announced on February 4th at Berlinale.de. For the queer films in the running for the Teddy, as well as other LGBTQ+ related works in this year’s festival program, head to TeddyAward.tv. To purchase tickets for the Teddy Award Ceremony & Party head to Volksbuehne.berlin.

Feb 22 – Indigenous Drag Excellence conversation & performance – Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, New York

Aunty Tamara, Feather Talia, Randy River and Ritni Tears bring unapologetically queer and Indigenous drag to the Leslie-Lohman plus a roundtable conversation with the artists on queer Indigenous joy, the fluidity of gender expression and sexuality through art and storytelling, and methodologies of honoring Indigenous experience on this land and abroad. Find out more & RSVP at Eventbrite.com.

Feb 27-August 31 – Leigh Bowery! – Tate Modern, London

A celebration of the boundary-pushing career of artist Leigh Bowery. Embracing performance, club culture and fashion design, Bowery created some of the most iconic images of the 1980s and 90s that continue to resonate, with his influence seen in the work of figures such as Alexander McQueen, Jeffrey Gibson, Anohni, and Lady Gaga. This eclectic and immersive exhibition is a rare chance to experience many of Bowery’s ‘Looks’ alongside his collaborations with artists including Michael Clark, Charles Atlas, Nick Knight, Fergus Greer, John Maybury, Nicola Rainbird, Baillie Walsh, Stephen Willats, Fiona Freund, Mr Pearl and Lucian Freud. It will provide a fresh insight into the creative scenes in London, New York and beyond featuring Sue Tilley, Princess Julia, Jeffrey Hinton, Les Child, Andrew Logan, Cerith Wyn Evans, Lady Bunny, Trojan, Rachel Auburn, Scarlett Cannon, MINTY and Boy George. Moving from the club to the stage, to the gallery and beyond, step inside Bowery’s dynamic creative world that blurred the lines between art and life. For more details, to book tickets or become a Tate member head to Tate.org.uk.

Compiled by James Kleinmann