ADIRA collective launches its first drag festival in Berlin

The ADIRA collective, co-founded by the drag artist Hassandra, launched its first drag festival in Berlin, built around queer Arab culture. The date is usually given as 2023, though the exact day is not confirmed here.

The festival brought together drag performers with roots in the Arab world and in diaspora communities. Berlin, long known for its queer nightlife and independent arts scene, offered a setting where such artists could perform openly. Many of them had found few stages that welcomed both their Arab heritage and their queer identity.

The launch mattered because it presented drag not only as entertainment but as a way to explore language, music, memory and belonging. It created a visible space for a community often underrepresented in mainstream European venues and, at the same time, in the cultural life of many Arab countries, where LGBTQ+ people face legal and social pressure. The event laid the groundwork for ADIRA's later work as a platform and gathering point for queer Arab artists in Germany.