Mighty Hoopla 2024: Day Two

Mighty Hoopla, Brixton’s celebration of LGBTQ+ music and culture, is a place where anything goes and everyone is accepted. For one weekend every year, a quiet park in South London is transformed into a festival of all things queer and quirky.

The main and second stage lineups read like a nostalgic fever dream, bringing together some of the most adored pop artists of the past three decades. Australian duo The Veronicas are an early highlight, delivering a riveting set of their hits, including the lovingly dubbed “National Anthem” Untouched. The energy is raised early and barely wavers throughout the day. There are a few acts that don’t quite hit the mark and some sound difficulties at times, but with the sun blaring and the tunes playing, nothing is able to dampen spirits.

The cast of Six the Musical bring in one of the biggest crowds of the day to the Hayu Arena, the festival’s second stage, while child star turned internet icon Jojo Siwa puts on a stellar set on the main stage. The singer-dancer is one of several artists to lip-sync through their tracks, but thanks to the recent virality of her song Karma, she gets away with it. It’s a stark contrast to the vocal performance of Rita Ora a few hours later. Recovering swiftly from some technical difficulties, the pop star delivers a deluge of her biggest hits, alongside a stunning cover of Abba’s Dancing Queen and tracks from her new record. With costume changes, inflatables and even a sneak peek of her upcoming music video release, no expense is spared on the singer’s production – and the audience lap it up.

After an evening of pop anthems and impassioned singalongs, Delta Goodrem and Jessie Ware close out their respective stages. Goodrem, armed with her piano and glitter cowboy boots, is an unexpected high point of the day with her vocally flawless gig, packed to the brim with pop covers and heartfelt ballads. Ware, on the other hand, delivers an intoxicating pop-disco set against the backdrop of “The Pearl”, a fictional jazz-style club. A surprise appearance from Beth Ditto for a spectacular duet of Gossip’s Standing in the Way of Control sends the crowd into a frenzy, before a heartwarming rendition of Free Yourself brings an emotionally charged end to the mostly feel-good set.

Beyond the chart royalty is a collection of inspiring and innovative queer performers. Though some are well-known and others fresh on the scene, all are awarded the same level of excitement and respect by their audiences. There is a feeling of joy and togetherness that radiates throughout every part of the event; it seems everyone is just happy to be here. 

With eight stages and several pop-up bars, the opportunities are endless: one might choose to perform karaoke with Barry from Eastenders (with a surprise appearance from Irish twins Jedward), attend a “Kinky Kabaret”, or rave in the sun soundtracked by DJ collective Girls Don’t Sync. There’s a no and low alcohol bar, BSL interpreters and quiet spaces available for those who need them. There’s also a sex toy ring toss, various celebrity cardboard cutouts being carried around and temporary tattoos to raise money for the It’s Not A Phase charity.

Whatever may draw someone to Mighty Hoopla, there is no doubt there’s still plenty more to discover. It is a wonderfully chaotic love letter to authenticity, whatever that may look like, and a brilliantly euphoric way to kick off the summer.

Katherine Parry
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Mighty Hoopla’s website here.