London’s Covent Garden is about to get a whole lot gayer — and a whole lot holier. The historic Actors’ Church is ditching solemn hymns for camp anthems as it launches its very first “Big Gay Brunch” to celebrate Pride in London, proving once and for all that heaven may just be a runway.
St Paul’s Church, better known as the Actors’ Church thanks to its long-standing connection with the theatre community, will open its flamboyant doors at 10 a.m. on July 5. And don’t expect your usual communion wafers. This brunch is packing drag royalty, shirtless Magic Mike Live performers, and a West End choir belting out the gayest hits this side of the pearly gates.
Drag icon Le Gateau Chocolat is set to serve up theatrical glory, while makeup maven Charlotte Tilbury will be sprinkling on-the-spot Pride sparkle to ensure every attendee is parade-ready. As producer Josephine Buchan put it, “It’s Big, it’s Gay, it’s Brunch!” Add Heineken, Gaydar games, and glammed-up glitter, and you’ve got the holiest bottomless mimosa in town.
A Church with a Drag-Queen-Sized Heart
The rector of St Paul’s, Rev. Simon Grigg — who will be attending with his husband, by the way — is no stranger to queer joy. “Celebrating Pride at the church is an absolute joy and a blessing,” he said. And in case that wasn’t clear enough, he added three immortal words every LGBTQ+ person deserves to hear from the pulpit: “God loves gays.”
Grigg, a proud gay man and longtime Pride supporter, made it clear the event is as much about fun as it is about safety. “I have always worried about young LGBTQ+ people, perhaps coming to London for the first time, being able to navigate the parade and the festivities. I particularly wanted the community to have a good opportunity to line their stomachs and set them up for this important day,” he explained.
The church, which has welcomed legends like Dame Judi Dench, Sir Stephen Fry, and even Queen Elizabeth II, is no stranger to a bit of theatrical flair. But now, with rainbow flags flying and drag queens sashaying through the nave, it’s becoming a true sanctuary for queer joy.
Church of Yes, Queen
The event is a bold — and badly needed — counter to the long and fraught relationship between religion and the LGBTQ+ community. Grigg didn’t mince words when reflecting on the Church’s past: “Back in the 50s and 60s when male homosexuality was criminalised, the church was actually one of the leading advocates for reform. Sadly, in the years since, the church has become much more reactionary.” He called out “a profound alienation” between queer folks and the clergy, saying the institution “should be ashamed.”
While Grigg condemned homophobia in any form — even throwing shade at the anti-LGBTQ+ views of Pope Robert Prevost — he also issued a hopeful prayer: “I look forward to the day when acceptance and welcome is expressed throughout the Christian church and indeed everywhere else.”
In a time when queer folks are too often pushed out of places of faith, the Big Gay Brunch isn’t just a party — it’s a homecoming. A reminder that love, sequins, and spirituality can live under one sparkly roof.
So whether you’re in it for the drag, the gospel, or the glitter, grab a ticket, grab a mimosa, and let the Church say… slay.