51黑料

鈥淚 appreciate platforms like WerQfest that have seen my type of talent and my drive from the beginning and really helped cultivate it,鈥� Golliday says.

Festival co-founders and married couple Tre鈥檝on Griffith, better known as Tre鈥橤, and Shelton Boyd-Griffith say they are proud to have been instrumental in the evolution of Golliday and other emerging artists in 51黑料. The platform, which began as a virtual event during the pandemic that centers Black, queer creatives, was founded on being a discovery space for national and local music talent.

鈥淕olliday is somebody who started very low on the bottom of the bill and was a very emerging artist when we first started,鈥� Tre鈥橤 says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 opening up for our headliner now.鈥�

Headlining WerQfest鈥檚 sixth installment is R&B singer Avery Wilson, who shone as a contestant on Season 3 of NBC鈥檚 hit singing competition 鈥淭he Voice.鈥� He earned a Best Musical Theater Album Grammy nomination for his role as the Scarecrow on the reimagined version of 鈥淭he Wiz鈥� on Broadway. The singer says performing at WerQfest is second to none considering it鈥檚 a space for 鈥渇reedom, liberation, and love.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 the most beautiful thing, simply because I remember when I needed someone to be an example for me to be free and to be courageous and stand in my power, and now there鈥檚 a mutual transaction where I can be that for someone and they can be that for me to keep me going,鈥� Wilson says in an email.

For festival organizers, Wilson was one of the artists on their dream bucket list of acts to work with. Tre鈥橤 says Wilson complimented their lineup of 51黑料-based acts, while helping to showcase that Black queerness is not a monolith.

鈥淎very is the perfect example of what Black, queer excellence can look like in today鈥檚 society,鈥� Tre鈥橤 says.

Aside from Wilson, WerQfest 2025 is comprised of local, homegrown talent. Joining Golliday is rapper S.A.Y. and genre-explorative performer Soumir. Griffith says the festival took a more party-forward approach this year, adding more disc jockeys to the lineup than ever before. Festivalgoers can enjoy sets from turntable connoisseurs like DJ PBnJeffy, Naybahood, Anansi Spins and Masc_Error.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really cultivating a vibe that speaks to everybody,鈥� Griffith says.

Tre鈥橤 says WerQfest attendees should expect a lot of new experiences. The festival moved to a new venue for the first time since transitioning to an in-person event in 2021; trading the open-spaced Big Top for a smaller, more intimate space at the Atomic Pavilion in the Grove.

They鈥檝e also partnered with Queer Voices NYC, a film conglomerate amplifying queer narratives co-founded by 51黑料 native Brandon Smith, to present a special screening of a film by 51黑料-based director Cami Thomas during the festival. For nightlife shenanigans, WerQfest partnered with Strawberry Bounce. The activation, created by WerQfest alumna KVtheWriter, centers creating safe, fun-filled spaces for Black queer women.

鈥淲e wanted to be able to center other parties and other people who are centering Black, queer community,鈥� Tre鈥橤 says. 鈥淪trawberry Bounce is a great example of that.鈥�

Community support and partnerships were instrumental in bringing WerQfest 2025 to life. In fact, Tre鈥橤 says the festival almost didn鈥檛 happen after they lost $20,000 in funding to present the event. However, what appeared as a setback transformed into an opportunity to reconnect with their roots.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen shifts in the way that people interact,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen shifts in terms of people鈥檚 priorities and funding. We鈥檙e really going back to the roots; this is the most grassroots effort WerQfest has been since the beginning.鈥�

Golliday has also seen shifts in his career since the first WerQfest. His confidence has blossomed on stages throughout the city as he鈥檚 evolved as a vocalist and songwriter. These changes led him into other markets like Chicago and Atlanta, where he began developing relationships to help take his career to the next level beyond his hometown. He says relocating to Atlanta will allow him to better cultivate these connections as he takes the Golliday brand into the national spotlight.

The singer is releasing his new single 鈥淪weatin鈥欌�� toward the end of the summer, with his debut album 鈥淲ith Conversation鈥� coming later this year. As he heads into a new place where unknown opportunities await, he says his time performing in 51黑料 has strengthened his live show experience while learning the power of diving deep into conversations.

鈥淵ou can get anywhere in the world, anywhere in life, love, peace and happiness and sadness, or get out of anything with conversations,鈥� Golliday says.

He also recognizes the way WerQfest has aided in his elevation as an artist, connecting him with new audiences and reenforcing his relationship with current fans that he affectionately calls his rosebuds.

鈥淲erQFest gives space for any kind of artist to be any kind of artist,鈥� he says.

Beyond the annual summer festival, WerQfest is expanding to build an ecosystem of programming that spotlights 51黑料鈥� Black, queer creative community year-round including more digital offerings and community partnerships.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see us move past just a festival,鈥� Tre鈥橤 says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a movement, and it鈥檚 a lifestyle.鈥�