Queering Lunar New Year 2026 is set to be yet another exciting celebration of Lunar New Year. Our aim this year is to return back to focus on the reunion dinner. We are making our main event a mix of both Feast and Fest for a richer focus on celebrating ESEA food and the passion that comes from it.  Our committee is focused on building a more accepting connection and prioritising safe-spaces for LGBT+ diaspora to experience the joy around reunion.

Celebrating a rich array of ESEA home meals is a comfort for diaspora that can go underappreciated from allies and the western world. Sharing a particular meal, made authentically, by people who also miss those dishes and flavors creates a stronger connection between our ESEA community.

What’s new for 2026? 

We have spent the last couple of years prioritizing our performers and artists. Our team wishes to build on that further however our outreach is limited as we are a small team. This year we are focusing on expanding our team networks and reach out to more organisations and doing some behind the scenes work to carry on supporting our artists and maintaining our event and what we do for many more years to come.

Our theme for 2026: 

Home and Hearth

“Home and Hearth” emerged from a conversation within our team, when we asked ourselves what we wanted Draig Fest to be  for us, and for the Queer ESEA community living in Wales.

The word home surfaced almost immediately. For many of us, as immigrants or descendants of immigrants, the idea of home can feel murky. While it may come easily to some, others struggle with what home means, what it offers, and what emotions it holds, especially when queerness complicates that relationship further.

Through Draig Fest, we want to create more than just an event for Queer ESEA communities. We want to cultivate a feeling of home. This is where hearth comes in, a concept deeply rooted in Welsh culture, often associated with warmth, gathering, and belonging.

By bringing home and hearth together, we aim to create a space that honours both our diasporic experiences and our connection to the land we now live on: a place of shared warmth, care, and community.

Why Partner with QLNY?

1. Impact: Align your organisation with an initiative that fosters inclusivity and celebrates diversity in the growing ESEA and queer communities.

2. Visibility: Gain exposure to a passionate, engaged audience through our in-person events and digital campaigns.

3. Legacy: Be part of reshaping cultural narratives, proving that tradition and modern identities can coexist beautifully.

Join us in making QLNY 2026 an unforgettable celebration. Together, we’ll create a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and celebrated.