Fesses-tival 2025

An Eighth Edition Rooted in Personal Reflection

From October 22 to 26, 2025, Fesses-tival returns to Geneva for its eighth edition, centered on themes of nostalgia and intergenerational transmission. Led by Lari Medawar, the event remains the only festival in French-speaking Switzerland that celebrates the diversity of sexualities with such openness. This year’s edition embraces a strong Y2K aesthetic—think butterflies, glitter, and vibrant neon hues—drawing inspiration from the early 2000s era.

For Lari Medawar, this edition carries deep personal meaning: “We created the event I desperately needed myself,” they share. Since its inception eight years ago, the festival has been transformative: “Fesses-tival gave me permission to live, not just survive.” Born in the 2000s and shaped by a childhood of insecurity and precarity, Medawar sees the festival today as a space for healing, growth, and safety.

REGENERATION: Healing, Embodiment, and Memory

Located on the second floor of Maison Saint-Gervais from October 22 to November 6, the REGENERATION exhibition brings together artists with diverse experiences to explore the body, health, disability, sexual well-being, and HIV. Through mediums such as sculpture, drawing, video, and performance art, the exhibition delves into intergenerational narratives and frames regeneration as a radical queer and crip response to survival, transformation, and liberation.

Among the featured artists are Vinicius Couto, Théophylle DCX, and Brian Montshiwa. The opening night will take place on Wednesday, October 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., featuring three live performances starting at 6:30 p.m.

A Diverse Lineup of Events

Alongside the core exhibition, Fesses-tival will host more than thirty events, including performances, film screenings, workshops, concerts, and debates throughout the five-day celebration. Highlights include Théophylle DCX’s show Do Angels Get Hard?, the vibrant Bal des Putxs, and the ever-popular Fesses-Market, curated by the Saint-Valentin du Q collective.

It’s worth noting that two scheduled events—QFC: The Fist-Food of Pleasure and Bleu Brut—have unfortunately been canceled.

A Unique and Essential Space in French-Speaking Switzerland

Since the end of the Festival of Affects, Genres, and Sexualities (FDS) after its eleven editions, Fesses-tival remains the only platform in the region that tackles issues of bodies, identities, and desires so openly. Its role is as vital as it is vulnerable, relying on dedicated collaborative work to ensure accessibility, diversity, and safety for all who attend.

The festival is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, with designated rest areas and features that prioritize both physical and intellectual accessibility. Fesses-tival is more than a celebration—it represents a culture of care and exchange, where art becomes a tool for memory, healing, and collective desire.