LGBTQ+ Country Festivals 2025: Where to Celebrate Queer Country Music
By Iggy Kay | Last Updated: Aug 31, 2025
Festivals are more than concerts — they’re gatherings of culture, community, and belonging. For LGBTQ+ country fans, festivals are where love of twang and pride in identity meet under open skies. In 2025, queer country festivals are flourishing across the U.S. and abroad, offering safe, joyous spaces where diversity thrives and country music sounds better than ever.
This guide highlights the top LGBTQ+ country festivals to attend in 2025, complete with who’s playing, what to expect, and why they matter.
Why Queer Country Festivals Matter
For decades, mainstream country festivals overlooked LGBTQ+ audiences. Now, queer country festivals serve as sanctuaries. They prove that country isn’t about gatekeeping — it’s about community storytelling.
Festivals like these also uplift independent queer artists, giving them platforms that mainstream Nashville still hesitates to provide. When fans gather proudly in cowboy boots and rainbow fringe, it changes the future of country music.
Top LGBTQ+ Country Festivals in 2025
1. Lavender Country Fest – Seattle, WA
Named after Patrick Haggerty’s pioneering band, this festival honors the roots of queer country while spotlighting emerging voices. Expect a mix of folk, alt-country, and outlaw spirit.
2. Queer Country Quarterly – Brooklyn, NY
A staple of the New York scene, QCQ continues into 2025 with regular showcases featuring Karen & the Sorrows, Paisley Fields, and rising local acts.
3. Rainbow Rodeo Festival – Austin, TX
Equal parts rodeo and music fest, this Austin celebration blends cowboy culture with queer pride. Bucking bulls meet banjos — and nobody bats an eye.
4. Pride Country Live – Nashville, TN
The beating heart of country finally embraces queer voices in an annual pride-aligned celebration. This year’s lineup includes Brandy Clark, Katie Pruitt, and Fancy Hagood.
5. Bluegrass Pride Festival – San Francisco, CA
A West Coast tradition merging Appalachian roots with LGBTQ+ advocacy. Expect fiddle jams, banjos, and dancing under the Golden Gate.
6. Southern Queer Country Gathering – Atlanta, GA
This grassroots event blends live sets with workshops on queer history in country music, creating a space that educates as much as it entertains.
7. International Queer Country Showcase – London, UK
Queer country has crossed the pond. London hosts international artists, bridging U.S. and European queer country scenes.
Beyond the Music: Community & Culture
These festivals aren’t just about who’s on stage. They’re about the connections offstage: campfire singalongs, drag line-dancing, storytelling circles, and queer cowboy fashion parades.
Vendors and nonprofits often set up booths, creating bridges between music fans and advocacy groups fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in rural areas.
How to Support and Attend
- Buy tickets early — many of these festivals sell out.
- Support vendors and artists directly at merch tables.
- Travel with friends to make it a shared experience.
- Promote festivals online to spread awareness beyond niche circles.
Showing up is a statement: country music belongs to everyone.
Queer country festivals in 2025 are rewriting the story of what country music can be. They’re joyful, radical, and deeply rooted in authenticity. Whether you’re line-dancing in Austin, singing along in Brooklyn, or cheering in San Francisco, these festivals prove that LGBTQ+ country is more than a movement — it’s a celebration.