Don’t Tell Mama 2027: Courtney Act, Nadine Coyle and more to headline LGBTQ+ Butlin’s festival
Banish the January blues and escape to Butlin’s Bognor Regis Resort for three days of nonstop partying at indoor LGBTQ+ festival Don’t Tell Mama
Pack your feather boa and put your out-of-office on: Don’t Tell Mama, one of the UK’s biggest indoor LGBTQ+ festivals, takes over Butlin’s Bognor Regis Resort from 29 January to 1 February 2027 for three days of drag, DJs and debauchery by the sea. With multiple stages, club nights and shows running across the resort, plus a fresh line-up of surprises for 2027, there’s plenty to look forward to.
Headline acts
Drag legend Courtney Act tops the bill, with two shows across the weekend. Girls Aloud icon Nadine Coyle plays a solo set, while S Club’s Jo O’Meara brings pop nostalgia. Gareth Gates fronts Boyband in the Buff, a raunchy show featuring a cast of ripped performers.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars La Voix, Bimini and Divina De Campo headline a weekend of drag royalty, alongside Queenz, which brings a live vocal element to the drag on offer. Returning favourites Myra DuBois and BEEFMINCE, the London club night built around bigger guys and their admirers, are also back by popular demand.
Drag, discos and costume parties
There’s a costume party each day, kicking off with a Love Boat Opening Party hosted by Allan Jay and the Buoys Ahoy crew. On Saturday, the resort-wide costume party takes on this year’s theme, Night of 1000 Icons, with guests invited to dress as whichever icon they choose. And the weekend wraps with the Don’t Tell Mama Scarlet Finale, hosted by Eileen Dover.
Returning bigger and better for 2027 is the Don’t Tell Mama Dragathon, with an expanded cast featuring Billie Gold, Alfie Ordinary, Davina Sparkle, Drag With No Name, Ophelia Payne, Pooh La May and Sandra, alongside Bigg Taystee, Cosmic, Dave Lynn, Pam Sandwich and Tonya Kneez. Headlining the show is KY Kelly, from series eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Meanwhile, the Kylie Crawl is a silent disco built entirely around Kylie Minogue’s back catalogue, with the party moving between venues across the resort as the weekend goes on.
DJs and dancefloors
DJ Fat Tony brings his legendary beats to the resort, while Freemasons with Russell Small, and Symphonic Ibiza serve up nights of euphoric club anthems. Over on the dancefloor, Out Out!, fronted by Tiara Skye and Booty Luv, promises total queer chaos. Gaydio also returns as an official partner, taking over the decks at its own Dance Arena.
Round the clock
Bottomless drag brunches, hosted by Miss Leigh Ding and Mercedes Bends, run across the mornings, while the Rodeo Queens host line-dancing sessions for anyone in need of a slower pace before the evening madness. Pool parties give guests somewhere to spend the afternoons. There’s also a run of tribute acts covering some of the biggest names in queer pop history, including Luke performing as Freddie Mercury, Smalltown Boy as Jimmy Somerville, and returning favourite Donna Marie as Lady Gaga. Between sets, guests can also make use of Butlin’s PLAYXPERIENCE, which includes escape rooms, digital darts and other interactive games.
Stay bold. Stay proud. Stay over.
Don’t Tell Mama runs from 29 January to 1 February 2027 at Butlin’s Bognor Regis Resort, with restaurants, bars and accommodation all on site. Use code DTM40 to save £40 on your booking, and head to dont-tell-mama.co.uk to book or find out more.