QUEER EAST FESTIVAL Unveils 2026 Performing Arts Programme

Queer East Festival has announced the performing arts lineup for its seventh edition, presenting a programme of international queer performance across London venues from May 1 through June 6, 2026.

The festival will present works from artists across East and Southeast Asia and their diaspora communities, with performances taking place at Battersea Arts Centre, The Place, Institute of Contemporary Arts, and Chats Palace.

Among the highlights are UK premieres of NO. 60 by the Pichet Klunchun Dance Company and BUNNY, a performance by Daniel Kok and Luke George. The programme will also include a Queer East takeover event at the ICA and a new industry-focused initiative bringing together queer and Asian arts practitioners.

Performance Programme

NO. 60 — Pichet Klunchun Dance Company

Pichet Klunchun will present NO. 60 at The Place on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m.

The work reimagines traditional Thai Khon dance by examining the 59 codified poses and movements that form the foundation of the classical form. Klunchun proposes a “60th movement” that reinterprets the 700-year-old tradition, creating space for new forms of expression while maintaining a dialogue between tradition and contemporary performance.

BUNNY — Daniel Kok and Luke George

BUNNY will run June 4–6 at 7:30 p.m. at Battersea Arts Centre.

The interactive performance explores themes of desire, trust, consent, and connection through the physical properties of rope and knots. Drawing on techniques including macramé, sailors’ knots, Chinese knotting, and rope bondage, the work examines collective experience and audience participation. First premiered in 2016, BUNNY has toured internationally across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Queer East Takeover at the ICA

On May 16, Queer East will host a venue-wide takeover at the Institute of Contemporary Arts featuring performances, artist presentations, and music events by international queer artists.

Participants will include Joseph Lee and Paula Wong of Unlock Dancing Plaza, London-based Shibari artist hua hua, and an artist film and moving image programme curated by Bart Seng Wen Long. The event will also include a DJ programme and additional artists to be announced.

Industry Programme

Queer East will also introduce an Industry Day on May 23 at Chats Palace. The event will feature talks, panels, workshops, and pitching sessions designed to connect queer theatre makers, festival curators, and arts organisers working across Asian and LGBTQ+ performance networks.

Festival director Yi Wang said the programme reflects the festival’s continued growth beyond its origins as a film-focused showcase.

“Starting as a film-focused showcase in 2020, I am thrilled to see that Queer East has emerged to be one of the most exciting multidisciplinary arts festivals in the UK,” Wang said. “Working closely with our partners across the city, this year’s programme invites audiences to experience some of the most forward-thinking queer performance making across a wide range of forms.”