A new cultural icon for the 21st century, Bimini first found global fame as the breakout star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, a perfect launch pad that has seen them dominate press and social media with their irrepressible sense of style and fashion.
Within months of appearing on Drag Race, Bimini secured a book deal with Penguin that saw their hilarious guide to transforming your life, Release the Beast, become a Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller; while their rowdy pop song God Save This Queen has clocked up more than a million streams on Spotify, spearheading the release of a series of successful tracks ahead of Bimini’s first EP, last summer’s When the Party Ends.
Initially established in 2004 at The Eagle, an innocuous gay bar in London’s Vauxhall, Horse Meat Disco has evolved into a powerful force in the wider queer and club culture, while staying local to its original home, each and every Sunday. Co-founded by James Hillard and Jim Stanton, and encompassing residents Severino and Luke Howard, HMD also run a number of residencies in cities across the world, alongside a kaleidoscope of club appearances, festival dates and specially curated mixes.
A typical HMD set blends classics, italo disco, house, oddities and punk funk, to conjure their initial spirit of “a queer party for everyone”, including, but not limited to, “Homos and Heteros, club kids, bears, fashionistas, naturists, guerilla drag queens and ladies who munch.” They have made appearances on every notable club scene in the modern world, as well as those beyond, and have long been a key fixture at festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and Festival No.6
“The reaction to Sophie headlining Poole’s first ever Pride has been amazing, and Bimini and Horse Meat Disco are just going to take it to the next level,” says Tim Colegate, Head of Programming at Lighthouse.
“Bimini is perfectly placed to work up the crowd and HMD will keep them going well into the early hours, so bring your dancing shoes!
“Even more importantly though, we want to create an amazing event that all of Poole can be proud of. So, I’m delighted that we can bring these trailblazing LGBTQ+ icons to Lighthouse to really cement the idea that Poole Pride is a safe space where everybody is welcome, and you can come as you are. That is what Pride is all about.”
Planned in consultation with a community steering group that includes members of the LGBTQ+ community, by day Poole Pride will include free performances and activities throughout Lighthouse, including the outdoor theatre, with performances, talks, educational sessions and signposting to LGBTQ+ support charities and groups.
By night, there’s a multi-artist bill headlined by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and main support Bimini in the Concert Hall that will give way to a late-night after party with a DJ billed topped by Horse Meat Disco. More announcements will follow.
A Queer film festival will run in the week leading up to Poole Pride as well as the month-long exhibition, presented in partnership with AUB, honouring influential gay activist John Chesterman who was closely involved in the formation of the Gay Liberation Front in 1970 and whose ideas underpin the modern Pride movement.
Tickets are on sale now at https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk