Dreamland Champions Inclusive Queer New Year's Eve

South Florida's only LGBTQ New Year's Eve music festival, Dreamland, will deliver four days of immersive art installations, holistic wellness experiences, and some of the hottest queer entertainers.

For its third edition, the festival takes over Oasis Wynwood and Wynwood Marketplace December 28-31 with more than 18 sets by house, pop, disco, and electronic artists, including drag queen TV host, singer, and overall entertainer Trixie Mattel, German producer Purple Disco Machine, and local queer rave Midnight Service.

Jake Resnicow, the creator of Dreamland with more than 13 years in event production, says it's time to expand the optics of queer nightlife to welcome underrepresented individuals.

"As my events have evolved, my focus has been how we make events that are truly inclusive so that all parts of our community can be themselves and express themselves," Resnicow says. "Optics-wise, there's all this oppressive legislation, but our community is ringing in the new year persistent and resistant."

The New York-based event producer emphasizes his mission to promote local and up-and-coming artists like Miami-based DJs Naim Zarzour, Miguel Clark, and Gaby Risso by setting them up on the same stage as international producers like Ben Bakson and Liza Rodriguez.

"How many queer and female artists can you name that are really on the charts?" Resnicow asks. "We need to have our community coheadline and be on those Billboard charts together."

As a Black, queer DJ, vocalist, and songwriter, Kaleena Zanders amplifies this through their gospel-influenced house dance music.
"The gays need to know about some gay Bitches, like Black females," Zanders tells New Times. "In the dance space, it's a hit or miss. It's so bro-heavy, white male-dominated, or they don't take queer gigs because they don't want to align with a queer thing."

Zanders is set to kick off the new year at midnight at Wynwood Marketplace with a live performance of "high-vibrational celebratory mixes and dark moments" off their new EP, Rumble in the Disco, which delves into childhood nostalgia.

"It's like my inner child playing with different levels of emotions, which ended up being really cathartic for me," Zanders adds. "I literally try to think of the crowd coming together to heal, not in a rebellious way, but sometimes like armor."

Resnicow also applauds LGBTQ allies like Purple Disco Machine who embrace his predominantly queer fandom.

"Jake [Resnicow] and the production really make it so that gay artists aren't just seen in this culture, but seen by everybody," Zanders says.

Equally important, Resnicow notes, is that the party never stops.

"A lot of times, you go to Pride events, and there's a performer, then you wait an hour for the next performer to set up, and everyone's just standing around," Resnicow explains. "At Dreamland, there's really a fine line between telling a story so the music progresses throughout the day, so breaks between sets don't feel so abrupt."

Need time to wind down before the next performance? Attendees can wander between more than 15 pop-up restaurants, yoga sessions, reiki healing, and interactive art exhibits.
In addition to the slew of parties and programs, Resnicow will unveil Miami's Dream Wall, a permanent interactive art experience designed by artist Miss Val, which infuses avant-garde digital technology to display attendees' new year's resolutions. The wall can be seen on NW Second Avenue, adjacent to Wynwood Walls.

"Breaking free from societal constraints to discover our true potential and dreams is what drives me," Miss Val said in a statement.

The exhibit is a testament to the aspirations of attendees, the future of Wynwood, and the colossal tapestry of the festival.

"The Dream Wall is not just an installation; it's a testament to the dreams of our attendees, offering them a chance to be part of Wynwood's evolving future," Resnicow added in a statement. "We're creating a future where technology amplifies our deepest aspirations."

A portion of proceeds from the festival supports the nonprofit Femme House, which trains and funds women and gender-expansive amateurs in all music sectors who want to become producers, engineers, executives, and artists.

After Resnicow's best friend passed away, he promised to keep her story alive by helping create opportunities for aspiring, underprivileged artists like herself.

"She was an incredible female DJ in our community, and her big focus was about how we can create tools for these artists to be successful, like being paired with mentors on bigger stages," Resnicow says. "It's meaningful and tangible, so I'm happy Dreamland can help steer that path."

Dreamland. Thursday, December 28, through Sunday, December 31, at various locations; dreamlandnye.com. Tickets cost $299 to $549 seetickets.us.