Frankie Fest is back for 2026, and if you’ve spent any time in this city’s clubs and secret canal barge parties, you already know what that means: a packed floor, a few blown speakers, somebody hanging perilously upside down, and a crowd that came to feel a little less alone. Frankie Fest takes over Brooklyn’s House of Yes on Sunday, May 3rd, running from 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM, pulling in NYC’s queer and allied underground.
The festival honors Frankie Maddox Rex, and there’s no polite way to say it: Frankie’s absence still stings. As co-founder and co-vocalist of The FMs, they were one of those figures who made things happen; the kind of person who could illuminate a room just by stepping into it. Since their passing in 2022, this gathering has taken on a strange dual charge: part remembrance, part release…with a lineup that barrels through alt-rock, punk, and performance art. Over the past few years, Frankie Fest has become a place where trans, non-binary, and queer artists claim their rightful space, where the line between stage and floor dissolves into joyful mayhem.
Headlining the 2026 festival is the legendary San Antonio indie-punk trio Girl In A Coma, marking a massive Brooklyn return following their recent reunion. Joining them at the top of the bill is genre-defying alt-pop dynamo Boy Jr., alongside explosive sets from local heavyweights UgLi, Cat Crash, Theophobia, and Villins.
Festival co-founders Miss Cherry Delight and The FMs will also take the stage, honoring the festival’s namesake.
To match the world-class spectacle of House of Yes, the musical lineup will be interwoven with continuous, boundary-pushing theatrical acts. The festival features a curated cast of spectacular burlesque, drag, and variety performers. Anchoring the night and transitioning the live rock showcase into a late-night dance party is DJ Goth Dad, the acclaimed DJ project of Dusty Gannon, frontman for the post-punk powerhouse Vision Video.
Get your tickets here!
Photo: Alice Teeple
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