OUTLOUD music festival originated in Los Angeles but this year was brought to the east coast in Boston for its first festival here. OUTLOUD, created by Jeff Consoletti, is the leading LGBTQ+ music brand, celebrating and amplifying queer artistry through groundbreaking live events and entertainment experiences. Since its inception in 2020, OUTLOUD has grown from a digital-only series into a dynamic live event platform that champions LGBTQ+ artists, fosters community, and sets the stage for the next generation of queer talent. The Festival started at WeHo Pride, and has featured iconic performances by Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Kesha, Janelle Monáe, Diplo, Orville Peck, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adam Lambert, Idina Menzel, Passion Pit, Doechii, and more. With multiple awards and garnering over 100 billion media impressions in 2024 alone, OUTLOUD continues to expand its reach, including new markets and new ventures such as Boston.
Fans in Boston were excited to see just what this festival would bring to the east coast. And they certainly were not disappointed as the lineup was stacked featuring some of the biggest names in the queer community including Trixie Mattel with a DJ set and Kim Petras headlining. The event’s full lineup included Flo Milli, Rebecca Black, G Flip, Frankie Grande, Oompa, Big Body Kweeng, Hannah Rad, and MATH3CA.
“In today’s political climate, it’s more important than ever to uplift queer voices and provide a platform for LGBTQ+ artists,” said Founder and Executive Producer of OUTLOUD Jeff Consoletti. “Bringing the OUTLOUD Music Festival to my hometown of Boston is a surreal and full circle moment for me, a moment that isn’t lost in today’s climate of hostility towards my LGBTQ community.”
We had the chance to attend and photograph this wonderful festival and wanted to highlight some of our favorite acts and moments from the day.
G Flip
Aussie singer songwriter G Flip got the crowd going early on with their catchy queer anthems. Going from singing, playing guitar, and being behind the drums, G Flip can certainly do it all. They waved around a pride flag that a fan gave to them while singing their stellar new single “Big Ol’ Hammer”. Its a mix of ‘80s vibes, raised eyebrows and pure queer joy, the track is camp, cheeky, and impossible not to love.
Frankie Grande
It was a hot day in Boston but Frankie Grande made it even hotter. Dressed in a black leather jacket paired with a Speedo, he sang his new dance tracks “Boys” and “Rhythm of Love.” The crowd was loving every moment of it all. Frankie is a stellar performer and he had lots of crowd interaction, which made his set much more personal. His mother was even in attendance in the crowd, recording him on her phone looking as proud as ever. He took a moment to call out to her and it was such a sweet moment.
Rebecca Black
This was a special show for Rebecca Black as it was her literal birthday that day. She told the crowd how excited she was since she’s actually never played a show on her birthday before. And what a better place to do it than in Boston at OUTLOUD fest. Rebecca always puts on such a show stopping performance each time and this one was one of her best yet. Playing hit songs like “TRUST!”, and “SALVATION” with so much energy from her and her two dancers. The crowd and the festival even took a moment to wish her a happy birthday which was such a cute moment.
Flo Milli
Flo Milli was the next to take the stage and she certainly brought the energy. She performed a collection of her most viral songs to date. This includes her most recent hit “Never Lose Me,” which debuted at #20 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart in 2024. The crowd was going nuts over her high energy and she was having so much fun with everyone, even coming down to the crowd at one point.
Trixie Mattel
A moment a lot of people have been waiting for was for drag queen icon Trixie Mattel to grace the stage for her DJ performance. While it was a DJ set that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be hype because it certainly was. Trixie stood behind the DJ booth surrounded by other drag queens and dancers while giant beach balls would be thrown around the audience all set. Trixie would come out from the DJ booth to hype the crowd up a few times and dance with them. Playing queer classics that got the crowd going crazy all night along. Applying her own makeup line (Trixie Cosmetics) mid set for dramatic effect was a great touch. It had to be the most fun set of the day for sure.
Kim Petras
After a day full of amazing performance it was finally time for headliner Kim Petras to grace the stage in front of some of her most adoring fans. Before she came out, fans were handed pink glow sticks that they were waving around in anticipation for Kim. A count down started and out came Kim from a giant wooden box with the words “Mail Order Bride” stamped on the front. Petras opened the show with a rendition of her 2022 song “I Don’t Want It At All,” swinging a large black leather purse over her head that was decked out in bag charms that related to Boston, a cute touch. She donned a bedazzled glitter boot due to an injury but even despite the injury she still gave one hell of a show. Kim is a performer and she put on one of her best performances that night in Boston.
It’s safe to say that Boston’s first OUTLOUD fest was a huge success and fans were loving every moment of it from start to finish. In a time where we need a lot more queer representation and to uplift more queer voices and create more safe spaces, OUTLOUD does a fantastic job at creating a festival that does just that and more. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for 2026!
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Photos by Erin Crowley
