Three years after it began as a scrappy afterparty for Orlando's Pride festival, Gala of Ghouls is throwing its anniversary show this Saturday at Conduit in Winter Park. The pop-up drag and burlesque production, founded by trans performer Kissa Death, has drawn consistently large crowds, and its Coven Revival show lands the same weekend as the region's largest Pride celebration.
From Thornton Park Afterparty to Regional Draw
Kissa Death launched Gala of Ghouls as an informal afterparty tied to Orlando's Come Out With Pride festival, staging it in Thornton Park before the brand expanded into a full production company, according to Orlando Weekly. The show now operates without a permanent home, instead rotating through venues including The Veranda at Thornton Park, The Neighbors at East End Market, and Conduit, a format that lets the collective take over outdoor markets and late-night spaces rather than anchor itself to a single gay bar, per Mato Events.
Over the past year alone, Gala of Ghouls has hosted more than a dozen alternative drag showcases, drawing consistently large crowds. The run earned it a finalist spot in local readers' Best of Orlando drag event polling and a second-place finish overall, according to the production's own materials. The brand's catalog has grown well past typical nightlife drag too, with past programming including a fashion show, a séance, and a scare trail, the same reporting notes.
Saturday's Coven Revival Lineup
Saturday's three-year anniversary show, called Coven Revival, is billed as a celebration of the brand's creative output and features a drag and burlesque lineup that includes Amnesia Effect, Your Scary Godmother, E, and Dr. Victor Von Vector. Doors open at 7 p.m. at Conduit, 6700 Aloma Avenue in Winter Park, with tickets priced at $17.21.
Kissa Death has said the show is built to promote diversity for queer people, trans performers, and people of color, framing Gala of Ghouls as a reflection of Orlando's strong queer community.
A Venue Built for Genre-Crossing Shows
Conduit itself has become something of a regular stage for Central Florida's alt-drag scene. The 350-capacity venue took over the longtime home of heavy-metal club The Haven Lounge in January 2023 and is co-owned and booked by Endoxa Booking founder Pete Olen alongside Will's Pub owner Will Walker and Tampa Orpheum owner Jerry Dufrain, according to Hoodline's prior coverage. That veteran promoter lineup helps explain why the space keeps hosting alternative, punk, and drag crossover bills.
Earlier last month, Conduit hosted Dyke Nite Orlando's R!ot Dykes, a drag-punk mashup.
Pride Weekend and a Shifting Legal Landscape
Coven Revival falls the same Saturday as Orlando's 2026 Come Out With Pride festival at Lake Eola Park.
That celebration unfolds against a tenser legal backdrop for Florida's drag community. Florida's 2023 law regulating live performances is in effect, according to CBS News. CBS News identifies Orlando drag dining venue Hamburger Mary's as the plaintiff in a challenge to the measure, which Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed in 2023.
