Austria’s most famous daughter/son/in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter Conchita was the headlining act at Isle of Wight Pride yesterday.
Billed as “the only UK pride held on a beach”, Isle of Wight Pride had around 15,000 people in attendance. Pretty damned good for an island with a total population of only 141,000, and especially for an event that is only in its second year.
Good on ya, Isle of Wight!
The Isle of Wight Pride is only the second UK Pride event Conchita has attended, after being the star act at London Pride in 2014 right after her Eurovision Song Contest win.
It was also one of the Prides Conchita will be heading to this year in her role as official Ambassador for EuroPride, due to be held in Vienna in 2019.
And, as usual, the Austrian diva was stylish and stunning.
In an Instagram Stories photo before the event, wearing a shorts set by Swiss designer Julian Zigerli paired with what is rapidly becoming her signature style — ankle length boots and striped socks (so cool!)…
on a Pride float wearing a red tank top and black shorts (see video below — that girl always looks gorgeous in red — definitely her color!)…and, of course, talking about how she’s on “the best float” but, in reality, has no idea what the float is called 😂.
(Freaking love listening to that girl — because she is good-hearted, can talk about anything, even though half the time she has no idea what she is talking about, but she is always fabulously upbeat and positive, and always makes me and just about everyone else laugh!)…
and performing on stage last night wearing a funky black sequinned jacket and mid-calf patent leather pants with, again, boots and, as is often the norm nowadays…bare-chested.
And, I have to say, that is one of the gazillion things I am loving about Conchita right now. How comfortable she is in her persona, how she looks, what she wears and in her own skin.
Because only a year ago, we got Nipplegate — Conchita on stage with a jacket unbuttoning mid-way through a performance and her furtively trying to re-button it while still singing, in case we were treated to an inadvertent nip slip.
Nowadays, we get nipples out, on show and prouder than proud. And that, it couldn’t be lovelier.
Conchita’s next scheduled live performance at a Pride event is on August 3rd at Hamburg Pride, followed by Stockholm Pride on August 4th.
She will also be attending the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam on July 23rd. If you can go, go.!
Because, not only did Conchita herself announce she is HIV positive just a few months ago, so it will be extremely interesting to see what she has to say at this event, but I attended the conferences in Washington DC in 1987, in San Francisco in 1990 and in Bangkok in 2004.
And, let me just say, if you have even a remote interest in HIV/AIDS and what is currently happening both in the field of medical research and with/for those who are HIV positive, it is well worth going.
You can, of course, keep up on other upcoming Conchita events on her website.
And now enjoy that photo below because, man, I don’t think there is a more beautiful person (both inside and out) on the planet.