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5X Pride brings 5X Festival to a celebratory close at the Beaumont Studios, June 17

Desi drag queen Jolene Sloan performs at the wrap-up party for the fest all about South Asian youth culture

By Gail Johnson

5X Festival presents 5X Pride at The Beaumont Studios on June 17 from 6 pm to midnight.

NOW IN FULL SWING, the multi-day 5X Festival is a music and arts festival that elevates South Asian youth culture and pushes boundaries.

The name 5X is a nod to the organizers’ roots in Bhangra. The “5” refers to Punj and Punjab, 5X explains, while the “X” “can stand for ‘experience’, a multiplier effect, or even the intersection of east and west; old and new - and our hybrid identities!”

The 2022 event wraps with 5X Pride. The celebration includes a screening of Emergence:Out Of The Shadows, a documentary about three people’s awakening to and expressing their sexuality within their conservative South Asian families; DJ sets from the Los Angeles-based No Nazar crew; and a performance by desi drag queen Jolene Sloan, the first and only queen from Punjab.

Tickets, $20, and more information are here.

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