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Blacktober Fest: Drag Race star, DJs till 3am and a big Black queer party in London

Thursday, 15 October 2026 09:27

By Kriss Herbert

UK Black Pride's Blacktober Fest hits London's Colour Factory tomorrow. A Drag Race star headlines, DJs play until 3am, and Lady Phyll says it's about celebrating Black history and being seen.

UK Black Pride is throwing a big night for Black LGBTQ+ people in London Friday 16th October, and Lady Phyll has been telling Gaydio all about it.

Blacktober Fest takes place on Friday 16 October at Colour Factory, during Black History Month. UK Black Pride is the charity behind the UK's biggest Pride celebrating LGBTQ+ people of colour. Lady Phyll is its co-founder and CEO.

Speaking to Gaydio, she said the night is about both celebrating and honouring the community: "we want to celebrate, but we also want to honour our communities because that's the theme of UK Black Pride and Black History Month full stop."

Lady Phyll said the headliner is Rileasa, whom she described as "an island girl who was originally on RuPaul's Drag Race". Lady Phyll added: "She doesn't lip sync. She actually sings."

The night is hosted by award-winning comedian Thanyia Moore. Performers include Love Itoya, Nate Ethan, Shanay Maliya and King Dee and Blu. Black queer DJs will keep things going until 3am. Lady Phyll promised "a ray of DJs spinning the latest tracks and tunes", plus "a bit of food".

Tickets are £15. Doors open at 6pm, live performances run from 7:30pm to 10pm, and stalls are open from 6pm to 9pm. DJs take over from 10pm. Live performances will have a BSL interpreter.

This isn't the main UK Black Pride festival. Lady Phyll explained: "we put ourselves on pause relax rebuild and refresh and to come back".

For Lady Phyll, Blacktober Fest is also about the history behind the party. She said it's a chance "to celebrate the Black history and understand the origins of why we are here, why we want to be seen, why we want to be visible, why we need to connect and why we need to love on each other."

Tickets and full details are on OutSavvy.