London Queer Soundsystem Day
London’s foremost underground LGBTQIA+ nightlife crews lead an open-air party, celebrating Chaka Khan’s gift to London’s queer dance floors through the decades.
London Queer Soundsystem Day (L.Q.S.D) celebrates queer soundsystem collectives and the UK's unique LGBTQIA+ cultural heritage.
Featuring the likes of Deptford Northern Soul Club, Black Obsidian Sound System, Panty Soaker Sound System, Calvin Biggy C & Sugarbear (Bootylicious), Homo-Centric Records and Chapter 10, as well as a live PA set from Taka Boom, this is an all-day dance floor affair not to be missed.
Schedule
2pm – 3pm: Deptford Northern Soul Club
3.30pm – 5pm: Black Obsidian Sound System
5pm – 6pm: Panty Soaker Sound System
6pm – 7.45pm: Bootylicious (Biggy C & DJ Sugarbear)
7.45pm – 8pm: Taka Boom
L.Q.S.D founder and curator Gideon says, ‘Growing up in South London, free sound systems in local parks were the highlight of my summers. We come together to tip our collective hats to the mighty Chaka Khan and explore her musical influence in our rich and vibrant London scene.’
Deptford Northern Soul Club (DNSC) is comprised of childhood friends Will Foot and Lewis Henderson who have performed at Glastonbury, Green Man and End of the Road festivals, with regular residencies at London’s EartH and Moth Club and YES in Manchester.
Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.) was established in the summer of 2018 with the intention of bringing together a community of queer, trans and non-binary Black people and people of colour involved in art, sound and radical activism. In 2021 B.O.S.S was shortlisted for the Turner Prize.
Born from sheer love and dedication to the UK underground, Panty Soaker Sound System (P.S.S.S.) emerges from the energy of late 1980s and early 1990s clubbing. The melting synthesis of AMBAA’s performance and slick vocal heat with Ben Jamu’s driving and dirty home-cooked beats form P.S.S.S.
DJ Biggy C, a staple in the Black gay party scene for over 30 years, has dazzled global audiences since the 1980s. Past residencies include Fruit Machine at Heaven and The Vox's Pressure Zone, and he’s performed at Caribana and UK Black Pride. Nowadays, he lights up Club Bootylicious and Urban World at Scala.
DJ Sugarbear has had an incredible history playing at some of London’s most iconic events including Bootylicious, Rage, Adonis, guest spots at Horse Meat Disco and regular slots at the one of the coolest party on the planet, NYC Downlow at Glastonbury.
Homo-Centric Records founder Gideön is the curator of L.Q.S.D. As well as being a DJ and producer, he is also co-founder, director and booker of Block9’s festival nightlife institutions NYC Downlow, IICON and Genosys, and is also a resident and co-booker at London’s hottest queer club night, Adonis.
Chapter 10 is a London queer rave that pushes beyond binary to champion radical excellence and counterculture. Founded in 2013, with its last edition in 2023, Chapter 10 was all about the party, with line-ups announced one minute before doors opened.
Yvonne Stevens, aka Taka Boom, has left an indelible mark on the R&B and dance music landscape since the 1970s. She is the younger sister of the legendary Chaka Khan and Mark Stevens of Aurra. As a vocalist, she has worked with Parliament, Gap Band, Carl Carlton and George Clinton's Brides of Funkenstein. She has performed at LGBTQIA+ clubs and events across the United States, cementing her status as an ally and icon within the community.
Need to know
For all ages
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFree
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Venue
Outdoor spaces
As we welcome you back, our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and staff, so we’ve introduced a number of measures to help everyone stay safe.
Check our event pages for opening dates and times.
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.
- The nearest tube and train stations within 5-7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines).
- There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2-5 minutes from our venues. For more information on getting here by road, rail or river.
Toilets
Toilets, including accessible toilets, are open on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall for ticket holders and those attending Riverside Terrace events.
Cloakroom
The Royal Festival Hall cloakroom is in the Green Side Foyer, Level 4. It’s £1 per item, card only. The cloakroom opens about an hour before ticketed events, and closes around 15 minutes after the performance ends. It can be accessed via Lifts 2 & 3, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall. The Queen Elizabeth Hall cloakroom is closed.
Any sized item can be left in our cloakroom, including fold-away bicycles. We don’t accept non-folding bicycles. Items must be collected on the same day they are stored. From time to time, the cloakroom may not be available. You won’t be able to bring any bags over 40 x 25 x 25cm into the auditorium of the Royal Festival Hall or the Queen Elizabeth Hall, or into the Hayward Gallery, so please leave large bags at home.
Items are left in our cloakrooms at the owner’s risk, and we cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage, from any cause, to these items.
Entering the hall
There may be short queues to enter the building and the auditorium. If you are not able to queue or need further assistance, our Visitor Assistants are here to help you.
For level access to the Royal Festival Hall, please use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, to Level 2, and enter via Riverside Terrace. All floors are accessible from the main foyer.
We welcome wheelchair users and guide companion dogs.
More about Access & facilities
Parking
Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road off Belvedere Road (the road between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery).
There are four Blue Badge parking spaces available for visitors located on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and are free to use. You must display your Blue Badge as you enter the site. Vehicles that do not display a Blue Badge are refused entry.
Blue Badge parking at National Theatre
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can be found at the National Theatre car park (330 metres). If you are visiting the Hayward Gallery, just take your badge and car park ticket to the Ticket Desk in the gallery foyer for validation before you leave.
Please note: on Sunday when the National Theatre building is closed there is no step-free access from the car park.
Alternative parking is available nearby at the APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park (490 metres), subject to charges.
Blue Badge parking at APCOA Cornwall Road
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can also be found at the South Bank Car Park – APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park. Just take your badge and car park ticket to the parking attendant office at the entrance to the car park for validation before you leave.
A drop-off point at the Royal Festival Hall (30 metres) has been created for visitors who are unable to walk from alternative car parks.
Our Access Scheme
If you have any access requirements, please sign up to our Access Scheme for discounts, wheelchair spaces, dedicated seats and free companion tickets. You can also join our mailing list to get news about accessible events and exhibitions.
There are a wide variety of restaurants and cafes to enjoy around our site, as well as the Southbank Centre Food Market.