Tels Quels Talent Show: Brussels’ Queer Voices Take the Mic

On Friday 16 October, the Tels Quels Talent Show brings live queer creativity to Les Grands Carmes in central Brussels. Solo artists and groups will each take the stage for short sets, followed by a DJ-led dancefloor—an evening shaped around discovery, community and the simple pleasure of cheering one another on. The full line-up is still to be announced, but that is precisely part of the invitation: come with open ears.

A stage for the community

Queer culture does not only exist in major concert halls, big-budget festivals or the algorithms of streaming platforms. It also grows in rooms where people have enough space to try something out, share a first song, test a new project or simply be heard by a crowd that understands the value of showing up.

That is the spirit behind the Tels Quels Talent Show. The Brussels LGBTQIA+ organisation is gathering solo performers and bands for a string of roughly 15-minute live sets.

Alegres Soleas: Alegres Soleas is a group formed one year ago, made up of Betty, Nati and Cami, who all attend Antonio Paz’s flamenco singing classes, as well as Max and Juan, who attend Antonio Seguras’ flamenco guitar classes. They are all enrolled at Musiekpublique. From sevillanas to tangos, via rumbas and jaleos, they love travelling through Spain to the rhythm of music.

Eloya: With a guitar in her hands since childhood, Eloya invites us into a soft, intimate and cosy world, nourished by love, travel and small fragments of everyday life. Moving between French, English and touches of Spanish, she blends covers and original songs in a sensitive, warm acoustic pop-folk atmosphere.

Rui: Rui 睿 is a multifaceted artist combining drag, music and poetry. Accompanied by their ukulele and looper, their performances invite audiences to welcome their shadow sides in order to better embrace their light. Their songs explore their journey as a queer Asian person with humour and sincerity. They are currently working on their first EP, bringing together French, English and Mandarin.

Edy: Edy Dinca is a singer-songwriter from Bucharest, now based in Brussels. After first stepping onto a stage as a child, he released Vertigo, an intimate and poetic debut EP sitting somewhere between synth-pop and modern folk. Entirely written and performed by the artist, the project explores displacement, change, doubt and the search for identity, blending melancholy with hope.

Paak: PAAK is a Belgian singer-songwriter who tells big emotions with intimacy and sincerity. Through warm harmonies and delicate vocals, he creates indie pop inspired in part by Lizzy McAlpine, Holly Humberstone and Tiny Habits, while drawing from his own experiences. After taking part in The Voice van Vlaanderen in 2024, he developed his artistic world and performed at venues including AB Club, the Luisterplein at the Gentse Feesten and Brussels Airport. His debut EP, Someone Somewhere Somehow, explores the search for connection through love, queer dating, unexpected crushes, ghosting and hookup culture. The EP will be released on 6 November.

Benka: Benka is a Brussels-based artist exploring a free and colourful form of pop shaped by many influences—from French chanson and bossa nova to soul, jazz and other vintage sounds. Through honest, sensitive songs, he sings about love, emotions, relationships with others and the world, with the desire to create music in which everyone can recognise themselves.

Thony: Thony is a Belgian queer singer-songwriter who explores the intimate corners of desire, loneliness and identity. Their pop is unmistakably contemporary, with retro roots: yesterday’s synths carry today’s emotions. Their music moves through fantasy, mental health and resilience, like a diary where light and darkness meet.

More than a showcase

A talent show can sound modest, but representation rarely is. For queer artists, performing does not always mean entering a neutral space. It can mean navigating expectations around gender expression, style, voice, body, sexuality or the kind of story an audience expects them to tell.

An event centred on queer talent changes that equation. The starting point is not whether performers belong on stage, but what they want to share once they are there. Whether the evening moves towards intimate songwriting, loud band energy, experimental sounds or something delightfully uncategorisable, its strength will be the freedom to make room for many versions of queer expression.

The event is organised as part of Tels Quels’ permanent-education work, supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. In this context, celebration is not separate from community building: gathering, listening and applauding each other can also be a way of making queer lives more visible.

From concert room to dancefloor

The bar opens at 6:30 pm, concerts begin at 7 pm, and the programme continues with a DJ set once the live performances are over. In other words: this is not the kind of event where you need to rush home once the final song ends.

That transition matters. A queer evening can hold both the vulnerability of taking a microphone and the collective release of dancing afterwards. It allows audiences to be spectators, supporters and participants in the same night.

Practical information

• What: Tels Quels Talent Show, featuring queer solo artists and groups, followed by a DJ set.
• When: Friday 16 October 2026. Bar from 6:30 pm; concerts from 7 pm; event scheduled until 10 pm.
• Where: Les Grands Carmes, Rue des Grands Carmes 22, 1000 Brussels.
• Programme: The final line-up is still to be announced. Check the Tels Quels agenda for updates.
• Bookings: Reservations are currently closed.
• Accessibility: Les Grands Carmes is not yet fully accessible for people with reduced mobility. Tels Quels invites visitors with specific access needs to contact the organisation in advance.

A short set can be enough to discover a voice you will want to hear again. This October, Tels Quels is handing the mic to the community.

KET Magazine is a community‑driven, non‑profit magazine run by volunteers and based in Brussels. You can find our other music and nightlife stories on ket.brussels, and you can always write to us to share your projects or pitch a story: info@ket.brussels