Festival Village serves as the hub for all Gay Games participants, their friends and families, spectators and members of the general public. It’s where community and connections are formed, where thousands of people gather after the day’s competition to meet up with friends, to meet new people, to celebrate their personal victories, to be entertained, to visit sponsors and vendors, to eat and drink, and to otherwise relax and enjoy Cleveland-Akron hospitality.
Entertainment, activities, food, beverage, vendors and services are being planned to provide a comprehensive experience that entices visitors to return night after night to discover what surprises are in store.
WHEN: 15 August (Friday): 4 p.m.-midnight
See below for headliner entertainment schedule.
WHERE: Downtown Cleveland public space known as Mall C, a newly renovated 395-foot by 508-foot park (more than 4.5 acres) across the new Cleveland Convention Center where Gay Games accreditation, volleyball and table tennis will be.
The site overlooks a stunning panorama that includes FirstEnergy Stadium (home of the Cleveland Browns), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Lakes Science Center and the spectacular Lake Erie.
WHAT: Drag queen, actor, comedian and recording artist Pandora Boxx, best known as a former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, will be the celebrity hostess for Monday through Friday.
Headliner Entertainment Schedule
Headliner: Ana Matronic: The female lead singer and songwriter of the Grammy-nominated, chart-topping Scissor Sisters will bring her solo act to Festival Village.
4:30 p.m. Marcus Allen Ward
5:15 p.m. Verb Ballets
6 p.m. Medalist Recognition Event
6:30 p.m. Angie Haze Project
7:15 p.m. Sammy Slims
8:15 p.m. Hawkeye
9 p.m. Ana Matronic
9:45 p.m. DJ Rob Sherwood
Plus Diana Chittester on the second stage at 6 p.m. and Pick Up Stix.
Graffiti Heart Live Art Installations- Featured Graffiti Artists at 6 p.m.: Steve Ehret, Katrina Francis, "Chader One", Brent Krumrei, Presser Merrick
Join G2H2 Cleveland, WH2, and all the Gay Games Cleveland+Akron participants and visitors at Festival Village. See Friday event details here.
*Schedule and performers subject to change.
In addition to the headliners and entertainment stage, Festival Village features:
- Roving performers
- Medal recognition events—Nightly recognition of day's sports medalists
- Visual arts space—Collaborative area with hands-on activities produced by local artists and organizations
- AHA lighting project—Installations by renowned artists from around the world, organized by LAND Studio
- Food and beverage including beer garden and alcohol sales
- Vendor Mall—For-profit and non-profit vendors
- Gay Games, Cleveland+Akron Tourism and Sponsor Booths—Results, schedules, information and more
- Merchandise—Official Gay Games 9 merchandise being sold
- Pin Swap—Trade memorabilia from around the world
ACCESS: Free admission (donations accepted). Within walking distance of the venues for 12 Gay Games athletic and cultural activities, Opening and Closing ceremonies, a major mass transit hub and at least 15 hotels (including the host hotel), the Festival Village site is both visually appealing and practical, with adjacent parking, nearby bus and rail lines, and ample power and water hookups.