2nd story’s annual queer joy show
Sunday, June 7, 2026
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)

Given the nature of 2nd Story's work and the diversity of artists we collaborate with, we have the unique opportunity to build community among and share the stories of marginalized groups by building teams for our shows that share a particular point of view. It is our honor to be a conduit for these collaborations. Created and produced entirely by a team of LGBTQIA+ artists, this show our annual celebration of unbridled queer joy.

A Message from show Curator Aimy Tien

“I am obsessed with celebrating and sharing queer joy. It's why this is an annual show. Queer people and queerness can be found everywhere and in everything, and yet giving life to our queer selves and finding (or building) a queer community can still be incredibly difficult. We’ve been curating queer and queer joy shows for years now because queer joy is important and essential to celebrate.”

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Curated by Aimy Tien*

FEATURING STORIES BY:

Stay tuned!

*denotes 2nd Story company member.

A note about ticket sales

In person shows have three ticket levels in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to produce a 2nd Story show. All ticket tiers receive the same show experience.

  • $125 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.

  • $25 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and share more stories.

  • $7 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.

Livestream

  • 2nd Story streams all of its regular season shows on Zoom. The livestream is free, but you do need to register to receive the link. Registration is open until the livestream ends.

Stream Later

  • Stream later tickets sales now close 24 hours AFTER the event. Example: If a show begins at 6:00pm on Sunday, tickets will remain open until 6:00pm on Monday.

  • The stream later link is sent out via system email around 12:00pm CT on the day after ticket sales close.