Features

Dudley-born drag performer, Naya Thorn, has made the West Midlands proud, making it to the finale of series eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

Midlands Rainbow recommends some of the best theatre shows, drag productions, and musicals on the horizon for 2027, across the West and East Midlands regions.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is set to premiere a brand new production of Jonathan Harvey’s BEAUTIFUL THING; a coming-of-age story “about finding the courage to be yourself – and discovering that love can blossom in the most unexpected places.”

The West End hit musical Titaníque is setting sail on its first UK tour in 2027 with dates announced for Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Transtoyou is a new digital healthcare platform, providing healthcare services to adults across the United Kingdom and several European countries, with gender-affirming care pathway to supports trans and non-binary people seeking medically appropriate hormone therapy, monitoring, and ongoing care.

Send in the Clowns, a cabaret collective made up of performers: Fatt Butcher, Blü Romantic, Alanna Boden, and Dahliah Rivers, will return in 2027 with a new show. Following the success of ‘Queeny Todd’ in 2026, the Clowns will return to The Rep Birmingham with their latest drag revue, ‘Send in the Clowns - Nancies!: The Great Brit-ish Musical’.

Birmingham-born and raised actor, Bethany Antonia, has been announced as one of the celebrity dancers in 2026’s Strictly Come Dancing cast.

Birmingham-based Drag King, Blü Romantic AKA Gabe (32) is set to appear on the latest series of The Great British Bake Off.

Walsall Pride returned to the Arboretum extension on Saturday 29th August, and come rain or shine the show went on. Following extreme heat and drought, then thunder, lightning and heavy rain in the area, and with more rain forecast for the bank holiday weekend organisers were forced pivot and adapt to the changing circumstances to deliver this year’s event.

Our Story is a touring exhibition that brings together a gallery of portrait photographs, personal ephemera, and audio stories, to showcase the lives of trans and gender-diverse people in Nottinghamshire.

Congregational, a newly-composed choral service for the nightclub, from artist and vocalist, Fatt Butcher, is heading on tour across England. Opening in Manchester, the tour will then visit various venues across the nation including: Brighton, Liverpool, and Coventry, before completing its run in Fatt’s home city, Birmingham. Tickets for the live performance at Birmingham’s Town Hall on Saturday 20th February 2027 are now on sale.

Pioneering painter and designer, Enid Marx is set to be honoured with a new exhibition at the Compton Verney.

BookKind is a new literary shop with a charitable heart, where 10% of every sale is donated to a good cause. Among their charitable partners is the LGBT Foundation; a charity that supports the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people.

The Fountain Inn pub, also known as “Aunty’s bar”, was a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people in Walsall, and those travelling in from the wider West Midlands region, during a time when homosexuality was still illegal. It closed its doors following Alice Cronin’s (the much-loved Aunty that gave the venue its name) retirement. Now almost sixty years later, the bar has inspired Birmingham Opera’s upcoming mini opera.

Following the great success of its first series, Celebrity Traitors is returning for a second series with a star-studded line-up. The line-up includes Brummie comedian, artist, and activist, Joe Lycett, and Nottingham-born non-binary actor Bella Rasmey best known for their roles in Game of Thrones as Lyanna Mormont, and The Last of Us as Ellie.

Members of the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) Association will be joining the Great Birmingham Run this weekend, and among them will be several LGBTQ+ ex-personnel.

Brummie comedian and TV host, Joe Lycett, has also, more recently, become known for his artworks. Pieces created by Lycett are set to go on display this summer at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in his first major solo exhibition.

Content Warning: This article contains sensitive topics related to the impact of Section 28. The Section 28 Justice Coalition launched this month as a campaign group calling for a public inquiry into the impact of Section 28 on LGBTQ+ people. As part of their campaign, they have launched a petition calling for the public inquiry, as well as opening a letter writing campaign

LGBTQ+ Poetry Open Mic, Queer Voices, held in Worcester is changing venue to support a local business in Worcester.

TV series, What It Feels Like For A Girl, which is set in Nottinghamshire and explores trans identities, has been nominated for a fantastic four BAFTAs at this year’s Television Awards.