Grammy®-, Brit-, Golden Globe- and Oscar-winning non-binary artist/songwriter Sam Smith celebrated their anticipated residency, “To Be Free: New York City” at the historic Brooklyn venue Warsaw, per a media release. (London-based performer Sienna Spiro kicked off the evening.) Guests heard the debut of Smith’s new single along with a preview of songs yet to be released, as well as their biggest hits. The original 12 date run immediately sold out and will now extend through December due to demand.
On Nov. 14-16 in Mexico City at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Corona Capital music festival will take place, a press release noted. Performers will include LGBTQ+ singer Chappell Roan, Alabama Shakes, Deftones, Linkin Park, Vampire Weekend, queer-led Grizzly Bear, Weezer, Garbage and many other acts. According to the release, “Corona Capital has remained true to its ethos of booking a highly curated event that emulates the magic of the early 2000s festival lineups that inspired its formation in 2010.” Past performers have included Paul McCartney, Shawn Mendes, Pet Shop Boys, The 1975 and St. Vincent.
Lisa Minnelli returned to the 2025 Gala of the Stars to present the ICON Award to global superstar Janet Jackson at the annual benefit for Dancers Against Cancer (DAC) that took place Oct. 21 at The Beverly Hilton, Broadway World noted. The Oscar–winning legend, who received the event’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, will honor Jackson during an evening celebrating artistry, resilience, and community within the dance world. The 2025 honorees included Ben Vereen, Derek Hough, Debbie Gibson, Mandy Moore and more.
LGBTQ+ singer Rachael Sage and her longtime band The Sequins have released their new single “Nexus” from their upcoming studio album Canopy, out Oct. 24 via MPress Records, per a press release. All proceeds from the single will benefit the LGBTQ+ suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project. “I wrote ‘Nexus’ almost immediately after reading about non-binary student Nex Benedict, and the tragic story of their death after being violently beaten by their school peers,” Sage stated.
Out actor Colman Domingo will voice the Cowardly Lion in the upcoming film Wicked: For Good, per NBC News. To book Domingo in the role originally made famous by Bert Lahr in the 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, Chu told Deadline that he sent the two-time Oscar-nominated actor a direct message on Instagram. Social-media users had speculated about who might be playing the part, with rumors centering on former late-night host/musical theater actor James Corden.
In 2028, director Sam Mendes will unveil what’s been called The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event—biopics that will each focus on a member of the legendary rock band, according to Queerty. The films will star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr—and British actor James Norton as Brian Epstein, the gay man who was the so-called “Fifth Beatle.” Epstein was credited with discovering The Beatles, being their manager from their early days in 1961 until his untimely passing in 1967 at just 32.
Out unveiled its latest OUT100 list—a compilation of the year’s most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people, covering everything from politics to activism to entertainment. Among the people on this exclusive list were RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Onya Nurve; actor/activist/model Nyle DiMarco; Center on Halsted CEO Joli Angel Robinson; Kat Abughazaleh, who’s running to succeed U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois; Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library CEO Robert Kesten; digital journalist Vitus “V” Spehar; actor Jeff Hiller; and married couple Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach and best-selling author Glennon Doyle.
Queer multi-platinum singer-songwriter Conan Gray announced his 2026 Wishbone World Tour with special guest Esha Tewari, per a press release. The 42-city global run—in support of his newest album, Wishbone—kicks off February 19 at Target Center in Minneapolis, bringing Conan’s next era to life across North America, Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. To participate in the pre-sale, sign up at https://conangray.lnk.to/tour.
LGBTQ+ actress Tessa Thompson—slated to star in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios drama Hedda—has been tapped to receive the Spotlight Award at this year’s Gotham Film Awards, per Deadline. The Gotham Film & Media Institute’s 35th annual awards ceremony (where Thompson will receive the honor) is set for Dec. 1 in New York City. In Hedda, Thompson portrays Hedda in the Hedda Gabler adaptation that writer/director Nia DaCosta has set in 1950s England, with the titular newlywed hiding unhappiness that will reveal itself at a lavish party she and her new husband George (Tom Bateman) can’t afford to throw.
Rapper/The Voice judge Snoop Dogg partnered with GLAAD to support the LGBTQ+ youth anti-bullying initiative #SpiritDay on Oct. 16, per a press release. Snoop released a #SpiritDay conversation with music artist Jeremy Beloate, who is queer and who competed on The Voice last season. The two talk about their friendship since meeting on the show and how the two are collaborating together on new music. Snoop and Beloate collaborated on a new song called “Love is Love,” which is featured in a new episode of Snoop’s animated children’s YouTube series Doggyland. Recently, on the It’s Giving podcast, the rapper said seeing a same-sex couple in the 2022 film left him “scared to go to the movies” because he did not want to answer his grandson’s questions about same-sex relationships, The Independent noted.
British actress Keira Knightley told Decider that she was “not aware” of calls for a Harry Potter boycott over English author J.K. Rowling’s anti-transgender activism, according to Them. Knightley—slated to voice Professor Umbridge in a forthcoming Audible series of full-cast Harry Potter audiobooks—made the admission during a conversation about her new film, The Woman in Cabin 10, with director Simon Stone. “We’ve all got very different opinions,” Knightley added. “I hope that we can all find respect.”
Variety reported that Mariah Carey has been named the MusiCares 2026 Person of the Year. Carey will be celebrated at the annual gala taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Jan. 30, 2026, just two days before the Grammy Awards. Carey—who recently released her 16th studio album, Here for It All—was chosen for her decades of contributions to music as well as her philanthropic endeavors including providing relief to those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the COVID pandemic, among other endeavors.
Disney has renewed Project Runway for its 22nd season, which will debut in 2026 across Hulu, Disney+ and Freeform, per Variety. Heidi Klum will return to host and judge the fashion competition show, joined by mentor Christian Siriano as well as judges Law Roach and Nina Garcia. Last season—won by trans contestant Veejay Floresca—marked Klum’s return after a five-season hiatus and welcomed celebrity stylist Roach to the judge’s panel.
On Oct. 18, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music (SCM) welcomed guests to celebrate its 24th year with the annual benefit gala in LA, a press release noted. The evening featured performances from Kamasi Washington, queer artist Meshell Ndegeocello, Flea and the SCM All-Stars, an ensemble of the conservatory’s outstanding student musicians. Marc Maron emceed the event, which honored Lauren Halsey.
On social media, singer Brandy explained why she left her Chicago show early, according to AL.com. Brandy (who’s touring with fellow “The Boy Is Mine” singer Monica) said, in part, “I sincerely apologize for the abrupt end to last night’s performance in Chicago. After weeks of nonstop rehearsals, last night I experienced dehydration and feelings of wanting to faint, everyone involved agreed that prioritizing my well-being was of the utmost importance.” Deadline noted that fans were confused when Brandy walked off the stage early in the show, leaving Monica to finish the concert by herself—and fans did not hear the singers’ top-charting duet.
The queer comedy series Open to It’s second season will debut on Amazon and OUTtv on Nov. 6, per a media release. The show is primarily about a gay couple but will explore storylines involving drag-queen story-hour protest, a Deaf love interest, a naked pool party, puppets and more. The series stars Frank Arthur Smith (who also created it), Tim Wardell, Jason Caceres, Elizabeth Boone and Kimberly Nieva.
After fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg’s husband Barry Diller—to whom she has been married for 24 years—came out as gay in his 2025 memoir Who Knew, she emphasized that not a thing has changed about their dynamic, according to E! News. “What’s the difference?” von Furstenberg—who has been romantically involved with Diller since the late 1970s—asked Variety. “I don’t understand. But it doesn’t change anything. I’m sorry—it’s a stupid question.” She also acknowledged her three-year marriage with Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, who opened up on his bisexuality after the former couple’s separation in 1972 (although the couple did not finalize their divorce until 1983).
It turned out that LGBTQ+ entertainer/actor Wayne Brady also performed at the recent Riyadh Comedy Festival that engendered much controversy, according to a list Newsweek published. The festival was part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy that reportedly involves culture and diversity. However, the event had been criticized as an attempt to whitewash the Saudi regime, which is distinctly anti-LGBTQ+, and lesbian stand-up comedian Jessica Kirson expressed “sincere regret” for performing at the festival. Some of the other comedians who performed were Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Bobby Lee, Sebastian Maniscalco and Chris Tucker.
General Hospital dominated this year’s Daytime Emmys with seven wins, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The show was named best daytime drama series award and won for best drama actress (Nancy Lee Grahn), best supporting drama actor (Jonathan Jackson) and daytime drama writing, among other honors. Other winners on the night were The Secret Lives of Animals and The Drew Barrymore Show with three awards each; ABC’s Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade and Netflix’s Black Barbie had two wins each. The 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were handed out at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, with Mario Lopez hosting.
Bisexual singer/rapper Azaelia Banks—who has had a controversial relationship with the LGBTQ+ community—recently performed in Tel Aviv’s Ganei Yehoshua amphitheater at Yarkon Park, The Times of Israel noted. It was a rare performance by a foreign artist in Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and subsequent war (and ceasefire) in the Gaza Strip. She ended the Tel Aviv concert wearing a shirt printed with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name, adding she gets stronger every time she is canceled for her statements.
British pop veteran Melanie C (who was part of The Spice Girls) has announced the forthcoming album Sweat and the new title single (with a corresponding video), per a press release.
According to the release, the song is an “electro-house banger that samples Diana Ross’ ‘Work That Body’ and channels vintage workout video energy.” Some of the other songs on the album include “Emotional Memory,” “Flick of the Wrist” and “Undefeated Champion.”
Disney+ and Hulu cancellation rates doubled during late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, according to Variety. However, both services also saw a healthy increase in the number of sign-ups during September—helping to offset those nixing their subscriptions. Disney+ had 2.18 million new subscribers (compared to 1.99 million in August and 1.65 million in July) and Hulu had 2.11 million (compared to 1.97 million and 1.73 million), according to Antenna’s estimates.
After more than a decade of teasing and an internet-wide guessing game, YouTube icons Dan Howell and Phil Lester finally confirmed that they are, in fact, a couple, Instinct noted. The pair eventually admitted that they’ve been together since 2009. By 2011, they were living together in Manchester, England and, by 2012, they had moved to an apartment in London; in 2021, they even announced they had designed and bought a home together.
In the comic-book movie world, Zack Snyder engineered controversy declaring “Henry Cavill is Superman” on social media, Movieweb noted. Since James Gunn and Peter Safran took on the role of co-CEOs of DC Studio and rebooted the franchise without the stars of Snyder’s DCEU, fans of the DCU superhero universe with Cavill, Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck have criticized Gunn’s Superman, which starred David Corenswet. Snyder’s post and comments might be seen as a rallying call for SnyderVerse fans to raise their voices again and call for him to be reinstated as the mastermind of the DCU.
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