Is Salzburg a drag hotspot? Absolutely!
These days, hardly a month goes by without some kind of drag event taking place on one of Salzburg’s many stages. In some months, there are several. Is Salzburg a drag stronghold? And how did it come to this? Here is our editorial team’s summary of the ‘Drag Stronghold Salzburg’ series from the past few weeks.
To understand how it all came about, it’s worth taking a look back at the Covid era. When lockdowns were still in place, social habits had been turned upside down and queer public life had all but ceased to exist in the real world, the Salzburg scene had just wrapped up its Long Night of Diversity – organised largely by Gigi La Pajette.
Gigi had only just begun to make a name for herself as a drag artist in Salzburg when the pandemic struck. Gigi used this enforced break to conceive, choreograph and develop show formats for drag artists. And during lockdown, she moved her public performances to Facebook Live, featuring some offbeat acts such as ‘1 Year of Corinna, 37 Lockdowns Later: A Year in Review and a Look Ahead. People, pictures, white wine.”
In 2022, once all the COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted, Gigi got off to a flying start. The first highlight was the Murder Mystery Dinner, followed by Gigi’s Rosa Stadl, a Drag Oktoberfest and the May Day Dance. Many more events have followed to this day.
Brunching Queens from all over Austria
In the process, Gigi built up a network of drag queens from all of Austria’s federal states. As a result, drag queens from Vienna, Carinthia or Tyrol regularly come to Salzburg to be part of Gigi’s show – whether at the Rosa Stadl or the Brunching Divas.
Also in the wake of the pandemic, a show event emerged at the Narrencastl in Salzburg-Lehen – a local pub with a small stage – born out of a few people’s desire to take to the stage and be someone else. This gave rise to the Magic Garage, which, in its early days, had the Narrencastl rocking and even attracted international attention.
More and more performers joined the troupe, and the association QueKuSa (Queer Culture in Salzburg) was formed. Shows are now staged at ARGE Kultur. At Halloween, the troupe performs at Jazzit. In May, Magic Garage organises the burlesque Magic Cabaret at Toihaus. The Narrencastl has long since become too small to meet demand.
Over the past six years, a wide-ranging drag network has developed in Salzburg and beyond. The city’s political climate, which could be described as liberal, provides fertile ground for experimenting with gender boundaries.
Just think: Salzburg has a population of around 160,000. That’s roughly the same as Regensburg in Germany or Basel in Switzerland. By comparison, Salzburg has a very vibrant queer and drag scene. So it’s fair to say: is Salzburg a drag stronghold? Absolutely!
A commentary by Peter Goebel
Salzburg: A Drag Hotspot
Compared to major cities such as Vienna, Munich or Berlin, Salzburg, with its population of just under 160,000, is a relatively small city. What is certainly not small in Salzburg, however, is the city’s drag scene, which has been establishing itself in the city of Mozart for more than five years. We explore why Salzburg can call itself a drag stronghold and what motivates the artists. [Read more]
Silvia Prighdt
The drag queen Silvia Prighdt is well known for her performances at Magic Garage and the .png project. We had a chat with her and gained a fascinating insight into her career in drag. From her first steps in drag 20 years ago to the events she organises herself today [Read more]
Lilly Hightower
From a shy man to a confident drag queen. Lilly Hightower sings, dances and entertains in drag at various events such as Pride parades, competitions and the Magic Garage’s ARGE Show. But what drew her to the art of drag, and how has it changed her personality? We spoke to her about these questions and other topics related to drag. [Read more]
DomquartierI gladly recommend a visit to the Domquartier in museum …
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