On 20 March 2026, Cardion Arts returns to the Institute of Contemporary Arts for the second edition of Cardion Nights: Queer Performance – a one-night-only takeover packed with new work from some of the most electric names in queer performance right now. It’s art, it’s fun, it’s catharsis. And it’s all in aid of akt, the UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness.
Curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley and Katie Della-Valle, the evening centres on queer performance as something expansive and transformative. Last year’s edition sold out. This one’s shaping up the same.
The lineup
Wet Mess & Nando Messias – Trollied
Two “gender freaks and a shopping trolley, getting trollied.” If that sounds unhinged, correct. Developed during a residency at Somerset House Studios, Trollied leans into glamour, rage, desire, camp excess and the joy of not fitting neatly into anyone’s box. Wet Mess describes themselves as “horny for your confusion,” which honestly tells you everything. Expect sharp edges, softness, projection, and probably something that lingers in your brain for days.
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Travis Alabanza
Award-winning writer, theatre-maker and all-round cultural force Travis Alabanza will be reading from None of the Above – the Waterstones bestseller and TIME Top 100 Book – alongside new, unpublished writing. If you’ve ever seen Burgerz or Overflow, you already know.
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Adam Christensen
Poetry, music, accordion, heartbreak, desire, memory. Christensen’s performances blur the domestic and the theatrical, the intimate and the absurd. Expect storytelling that feels like it’s unfolding in real time, layered with song and a quiet kind of emotional precision.
Emily Pope – BUST
A series of audiovisual vignettes exploring the economy via satirical memoir. Drawing on stand-up tropes and karaoke lyric visuals, this instalment zooms in on the indie sleaze era. Think humour with teeth. Think class politics with glitter on.
Cardion Arts isn’t just programming cool nights out. The not-for-profit has built its reputation on championing LGBTQIA+ artists and creating spaces that feel genuinely welcoming – not tokenistic, not corporate rainbow-washed, but rooted in community.
Proceeds from the night go to akt, which supports queer and trans young people facing homelessness. At a time when trans rights, youth services and basic safety nets are under increasing pressure, funding this work is so needed.
Gemma Rolls-Bentley put it simply:
“Community feels more important than ever. Nights like this don’t just entertain; they hold space, raise money and remind people they’re not alone.”
The details:
- When: Friday 20 March 2026, 7pm–10pm
- Where: Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH
- Tickets: Free (unwaged), £12 standard, £18 with akt donation
- Access: 18+, general admission (standing). A small raised platform is available for wheelchair users or those who require a chair.
- Heads up: May include nudity, haze, fog and flashing lights.
Money going somewhere that matters. See you there.
Nonchalant x
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This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
