The countdown to Body & Soul 2018 has officially begun! The festival kicks off this Friday in the wild Irish countryside, and it’s got a jam-packed line-up of queer acts set to play the weekend ahead.

If you’re looking to inject some queer fun into your festival experience, (and who isn’t?), here are our top 10 queer picks for Body & Soul 2018!

1) Fever Ray 

Who: 

Karin Dreijer (of electro-duo ‘The Knife’) is the brainchild behind solo project Fever Ray. Her latest album Plunge is an exploration and celebration of sexuality, queer desire, kinks, and fetishes.

With performances made up of her organic electro sound plus costume changes, a sprinkling of BDSM and the occasional disturbing visual (ah, sure why not?), this promises to be a properly unforgettable gig.

When: 

Friday, June 22nd, 23:00- 00:15

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen:

2) Arca

Who:

Alejandro Ghersi is the Venezuelan mastermind behind Arca. His songs may be in his Spanish native tongue, but that doesn’t take away from the soul or meaning behind these odes to his cultural heritage and queer identity.

When:

Saturday, June 23rd, 23:15-00:15

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen:

3) Shamir

Who:

Shamir was catapulted into the mainstream after the release of their 2015 hit album Ratchet, but this gender-nonconformative artist blew up in the queer scene with the release of Hope and Revalations in 2017. Their mesmerizing pop-soul tracks leave you wanting more and more of their raw vocal sound.

When:

Saturday, June 23rd, 20:00-21:00

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen: 

4) Fatima Al Qadiri

Who:

4 words: Queer Arabic dance music. Fatima Al Qadiri’s unique brand of gender performativity is a step forward in terms of getting to embrace mainstream queer culture from the Gulf – something that Western audiences don’t get often get to see! Pitchfork has praised her music for breaking new sonic ground by combining “experimental, danceable, thought-provoking, and fun” aspects in her electronic music.

When:

Friday, June 22nd, 21:10-22:10

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen: 

5) Reykjavíkurdætur

Who:

Iceland’s only female-led rap group is made up of 15 femcees, performing solo, in duos and trios, the group are known to bring the boom to their live performances and are not to be missed! They take on everything from social injustice to feminism in their music and are guaranteed to leave you feeling empowered at the end of your Body and Soul weekend.

When:

Sunday, June 24th, 21:15-22:15

Where:

Midnight Circus

Listen: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpu-_vwSRb0

6) FAKA

Who: 

In a line-up curated especially by our top queer pick Fever Ray, FAKA are bringing their South African queer brand of house music to the Body and Soul festival experience. They are famous for using fashion as a protest in their performances and testing society’s presumptions of masculinity and the black queer experience.

When:

Friday, June 22nd, 19:40-20-40

Where: 

Body & Soul Stage

Listen:

7) Pillow Queens

Who:

Fresh off a massive support gig for the Future Islands, the Dublin-based Pillow Queens take their influence from the US DIY indie and punk scenes, adding their unique sense oF Dublin-ness to create their sound. Their music has been described as “an attempt to put into musical form the feeling you get when your eyes roll back into your head when faced with toxic masculinity”. What better way to work through your toxic masculinity frustrations than rocking out at a festival.

When:

Saturday, June 23rd, 14:00-15:00

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen:

8) Elaine Mai 

Who:

Elaine Mai is a solo performer who’s been slowly climbing her way up the Irish electronic scene with her experimental blend of melodic and atmospheric music. Using loop stations, her own vocals, drifting instrumental tracks, and a gorgeous blend of harmb=nies, she’s guaranteed to sweep you off your feet and have you going wild at Mother’s Body and Soul party!

When:

Saturday, June 22nd, 20:00-21:00

Where: 

Reckless in Love (Mother)

Listen:

9) Daithí

Who:

Daithí is known for his electronic music productions, mixed with his unique obsession with Irish culture. His unique blend of house music is a combination of old Irish samples, synths and nature recordings – resulting in an unmissable and truly Irish contemporary sound.

When:

Sunday, June 24th, 14:00-14:45

Where:

Body & Soul Stage

Listen: 

10) Bitch Falcon 

Who: 

Bitch Falcon are a straight up rock band. That’s their thing and they’re sticking to it! Promising to live up to their reputation as one of Dublin’s most ferocious live-bands, they’ve been a growing force in the Irish music scene for the past few years. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to completely let your hair down and go wild for Bitch Falcon.

When:

Sunday, June 24th, 19:45-20:45

Where: 

Midnight Circus

Listen: 

Body & Soul takes place from 22-24 June. For more information check out their website here.