Shenzhen's 3rd Pride Fest to Get Wet & Wild at Xichong Beach

By That's PRD, April 13, 2018

If you’re reading this at work, you’re missing one of Asia’s hottest events right now. (Don’t feel bad, so are we.)

Today the Thai calendar finally turns over to the Year of the Dog. Besides traditional new year celebrations – children return home and the whole family visits the local temple – the Songkran water festival sees the whole country splash each other to 'wash away one’s sins and bad luck,' but also because it’s already damn hot and this is a great way to cool off.

For Asia’s LGBT community it’s become something of a pilgrimage, with gay men traveling to Bangkok for three days of swimsuits, circuit parties and the chance to get wet with hundreds of their new best friends.

But don’t despair if you’re missing out on the fun – the PRD has its own wet and wild surprise in store, courtesy of SZUMMER PRIDE.

Over the long Dragon Boat weekend, the annual LGBT celebration is bringing partygoers out to the beach for days of sun and fun. It’s the third time local volunteers have organized a Pride celebration in Shenzhen and it’s breaking away from the confines of the swimming pool to the big, beautiful expanse of Xichong Beach. Explains organizer Shane Ryan:

For many LGBT+ people, Pride is the one time of the year that they can be out and proud of whom they are and who they love. It’s the one time of year that they can stand boldly together in droves with other queer individuals, proclaiming that we are fully human and deserve to be celebrated and uplifted just like everyone else.
The Wet & Wild weekend at Xichong is the perfect location to achieve this, allowing us to celebrate together without disturbing or upsetting those who are still learning about our community and may not fully understand who we are and what we represent as both a local and global community.

At a beachside resort reserved for guests – but not publicized, to ensure the event goes on – gorgeous dancers from Japan will entertain at the poolside cocktail party June 16 and show off their speedos for the pool party the following day. DJ Thiago Oliveira – a beautiful Brazilian bear in his own right – lays down beats for the jungle-themed disco Sunday night with a happy blend of house, tribal and progressive that's entertained clubs and Pride festivals in more than 15 countries.

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Guests can meet the DJ and dancers at VIP events if they act fast and reserve one of the limited rooms available at the resort. Otherwise, buy a ticket for one or both of the party days with round-trip transport from the city included.

Early bird tickets are available now, but act soon. Prices for the kickoff to Shenzhen’s third Pride celebration are set to rise like the orange sun over a cool blue horizon.