Returning after a triumphant weekend-long festival last June, the Mother Pride Block Party is back with a stellar lineup of show-stopping headliners, gag-worthy live drag performances, as well as a plethora of other art, food and drink options galore from sponsors like Absolut, White Claw, Heineken and Red Bull.

Announcing the programme for the upcoming unmissable gig, Mother co-founder Cormac Cashman said: “We’re really excited to share with the community our very special Pride lineup and plans for the Pride Block Party 2024 in the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, a spacious and accessible city centre festival site complete with three stages, multiple bars and fairground rides.”

Promising to be Mother’s “biggest and most exciting Pride show yet,” the 2024 Pride Block Party will feature a mind-blowing group of headlining acts, including globally celebrated vocalist COBRAH, who was recently nominated for a Swedish Grammy for their track ‘GOOD PUSS’, which has received more than 25 million streams since its debut.

COBRAH will be joined on the mainstage by viral electronic music sensation Princess Superstar. The rap artist, based out of New York City, has been slaying music charts for years with her signature blend of sample-based hip-hop, electro, punk, and swagger.

Pride Block Party attendees can expect Princess Superstar to perform her chart-smashing singles ‘Bad Babysitter’ and ‘Perfect Exceeder’.

Rounding out the Pride Block Party’s trio of musical headliners is Robin S. The American singer-songwriter is renowned for her remarkable vocal talent with chart-topping tracks like ‘Show Me Love’.

Joining those musical acts on Mother’s mainstage will be some familiar faces from the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Sasha Velour, known for her boundary-pushing drag, took home the crown on Season Nine. Since her tenure on the show, Velour has taken the world by storm with her astonishing NightGowns tour. Velour will take to the stage alongside fellow Drag Race winner Blu Hydrangea.

Hydrangea, who first appeared on Season One of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, returned in 2022 to snatch the crown on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK VS The World.

More recently, Hydrangea has made headlines for her performance on Dancing With the Stars Ireland, where the Northern Irish drag legend finished with a runner-up placement earlier this spring.

The Pride Block Party will also feature performances by the always-iconic Mother DJs, Celaviedmai, Sexy Tadgh, Haus of WIG and more.

Local drag talent will grace the grounds of Collins Barracks, with performances from Anziety, Avatar Guille, Dan the Man, Donna Fella, Faux Joli, Mia Gold, Naomi Diamond, Richard Joke, Shaqira Knightly and Viola Gayvis.

Fairground rides, food and drink vendors, and a number of Pride merch stations will similarly be set up throughout the grounds for the duration of the event, ensuring that Block Party attendees will be thoroughly satisfied.

In further news, this year, the world’s leading condom brand* Durex, will celebrate Pride by Partnering with The Mother Pride Block Party. Through their ‘My Sex/My Way’ initiative, the brand is on a mission to empower everybody in Ireland to be their true sexual selves. They believe by challenging heteronormativity, through celebration of sexuality in all countless forms of expression stands up for free sexual exploration and inclusivity. Come meet, party and celebrate with Durex at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks all weekend. Follow the journey @durex.ireland for more information and prizes to be announced!

Mother co-founder Lisa Connell shared, “Planning the Block Party annually to celebrate Pride in our capital city is Mother’s biggest party of the year.”

Founded in 2010, Mother was originally conceived as an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Dublin to raise funds for yours truly, GCN. After becoming a staple in the city’s queer nightlife, Mother expanded its reach, filling dance spaces at festivals and clubs far and wide before establishing the Block Party, which has become the country’s largest annual Pride party.

“It’s our opportunity to programme a world-class Pride party with the best of local and international queer talent to celebrate Pride. We take great pleasure in creating a full festival site in the heart of the city centre to host LGBTQ+ folk and their allies on our favourite weekend of the year,” continued Connell.

“We relish in creating safe and joyful queer space in the beautiful surrounds of the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.”

In addition to the Mother Pride Block Party, Mother has similarly partnered with Vibez Emotion to present the BRAZA Block Party, which is set to take place at Collins Barracks on Friday, June 28.

Attendees can expect “a very exciting opening party for Pride 2024 with a big Brazilian heart”.

The BRAZA Block Party will be headlined by two of Brazil’s hottest musical exports – Pedro Sampaio and Gloria Groove.

Sampaio, known for his innovative productions, which mix the beats of Rio funk with other rhythms, will kick off the party with a selection of hits that have earned the singer an impressive eight million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Gloria Groove, singer, rapper, songwriter, drag queen and voice actress, will take the stage after Sampaio, performing tracks that have made the artist the most listened-to drag queen in the world as well as earning her performance slots at major festivals like Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio.

A mix of Brazilian and Irish talents such as Dougie, Kat and Mike, Moa, Pablo Coutinho, Souzac, Spangol, Stephen Dowling, Thaal, and Tygo, will keep the party going throughout the day.

While both the BRAZA and Mother Block Parties will conclude at 11pm, a number of Pride afterparties, including Mother’s own late night celebrations at Lost Lane on both Friday and Saturday night, will be announced in the coming weeks. So keep your eyes peeled!

Tickets for both the BRAZA Block Party and the Mother Pride Block Party are on sale now on Eventbrite.

This story originally appeared in GCN’s April 2024 issue 383. Read the full issue here.

*Based on sales data. June 2023. For verification, please contact PO Box 4044, Slough, SL1 0NS