Applications are open!
for The Oaklash Festival • Saturday, May 16th, 2026
The ninth annual (isn’t that wild?) Oaklash Festival is fast approaching and change is in the air! This year we are focusing our event to a single day of nonstop queer and trans art and entertainment on…
Saturday, May 16th, 2026
» Mark Your Calendars «
There’s a few reason’s for this switch but first and foremost we want to be able to focus our team’s energy on putting on our block party at the scale and quality that folx have come to expect from our event rather than spread our efforts across multiple days and wiping out our crew by the end of the weekend. This year we’re going to have one dedicated stage for performers, one dedicated stage for DJs and dancing, way more food vendors, and all the same fun you’ve come to love from our favorite day of the year.
Another reason we’re only doing Saturday now is that we want to give other leaders in our community the opportunity to tap into the thousands of audience members that we bring to the city of Oakland every year for our event and instead of doing our own kick off and kick back parties this year we are offering two fellowship opportunities through our Oaklash Skills for Nightlife Accelerator Program (O-SNAP!) which you can learn more about below.
If you’re interested in getting involved in this year’s festival, you know what to do »
>> APPLY TO PERFORM <<
Applications due Monday, March 16th, 2025
>> APPLY FOR A BOOTH <<
Applications accepted as space is available — starting at just $75
Applications accepted on a rolling basis
Our application process is notoriously selective (those “I Didn’t Get Booked for Oaklash” T-Shirts sell quick every year after we send out ~300 rejection letters each Spring) but we do our best to make sure that our curatorial process is fair and equitable by selecting curators from throughout our diverse and often siloed nightlife community and guiding them in our rubric of selecting performers that don’t always get these sorts of opportunities, making sure that a wide variety of aesthetics and performance types are represented, and ensuring that we are selecting the best that the Bay Area and beyond has to offer. This year’s curators include myself, Beatrix Lahaine, Nicki Jizz, Sally Limon, Misterrr, Mojo Carter, Bonita Rose (who will also be the hosts of this year’s festival!) and Charles Hawthorne (who helps us curate DJs). So even if you’ve gotten a rejection letter in the past, there’s no reason not to try again!
And if you’re reading this far then you probably already know that…
That date one more time is Saturday, May 16th! See you there!
xx
Mama Celeste
In 2018, Beatrix Lahaine scribbled the word "Oaklash" on the side of a coffee cup, got a $1000 grant to make it happen, and look how far we've come!
Now it's officially time for us to pass on the favor.
The Oaklash Skills for Nightlife Accelerator Program (O-SNAP!) is offering two opportunities for party promoters to throw events during the Friday before and the Sunday after the annual Oaklash Festival
Grantees will recieve:
$1000 event sponsorship
Mentorship from our team
Promo via our online channels
» Applications due Sunday March 1st «
Events should:
Happen in the East Bay on Oaklash weekend (Fri 5/17 or Sun 5/19)
Feature queer and trans artists
Follow our Better Events Checklist
Check out the full eligibility guidelines and best practices at Oaklash.com/o-snap