Wollongong’s homegrown queer dance party Rush is coming to Sydney for the first time – and its co-promoter promises a night packed with DJs, gogo dancers and drag.
Created by drag queen Ellawarra and music booking company Yours and Owls, Rush was born out of a desire to give Wollongong’s LGBTQIA+ community a space that centred around music, dancing and freedom – not just drag shows.
“All the queer events here in Wollongong were all drag queen focused and I wanted somewhere for the community to come and dance,” Ellawarra said. “I really wanted to create a space that was DJ and music focused and just feature the gay club classics such as gogo dancers and drag queens.”
With more than a hint of inspiration from Troye Sivan’s hit song “Rush” – and the sweaty, sexy freedom it celebrates – the first event in Wollongong sold out its venue, La La La’s, and quickly earned a sequel booked for Pride Month.
“The reviews from the community were so high we rebooked our second Wollongong Date for Pride Month in June,” Ellawarra said.
Now, with the support of Yours and Owls and in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Rush will light up The Loft bar at the UTS Broadway campus for a one-night Sydney launch.
“Yours and Owls is now working with UTS to bring events to their spaces ‘The Loft’ and ‘The Underground’ and approached me to now bring Rush to Sydney and of course I said yes,” Ellawarra said.
The Sydney party on Saturday, May 17, will feature DJ sets by Dutch Kiss, Hayday and Lora Form from 9pm until close, gogo dancers Kell Silver and Nicholas Jachno all night, and solo and group performances from Illawarra drag queens Honeymoon, Natur’el and Ellawarra herself.
Early-bird tickets are $25 and general admission tickets are $30, but Rush is giving Gay Sydney News followers $5 off entry if they use the coupon code “GAYSYD”.
Visit @rush.gay.party for more information or find tickets for the event on moshtix.com.au.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
