WerQfest 2026: St. Louis Black Queer Arts Festival Returns with JT and Onya Nurve
The event features headliners platinum-selling rapper JT, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 winner Onya Nurve, and rapper Infinite Coles to celebrate Black queer creativity.
The festival has evolved from a local gathering in 2020 into a nationally recognized movement.
Headliners and the 2026 Performance Roster
JT, formerly of the duo City Girls, brings a high-profile presence to the Atomic Pavilion, known for her influence on contemporary hip-hop and fashion. Joining her is Onya Nurve, who enters the festival following her victory on Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Infinite Coles represents the festival’s commitment to genre-bending innovation, blending R&B and alternative sounds. The supporting cast is entirely local, ensuring that St. Louis-based artists receive the same platform as national stars. This includes DJ sets from Rico Steez, Nyara, Maxa, and TreHitz, alongside performances by Kristopher Lay, Lala Ahmir, Meadow Grace, and K.Rush.
A curated beat battle, presented by Volume Speaks and Vanessa Frost’s Frosty Revue with DJ PBNJEFFY, provides a competitive edge to the day’s programming.
“WerQfest offers something steady and necessary: a full day of music, fashion, performance, and community where joy is the whole point.”
Foundational Leadership and Creative Advocacy
The festival is steered by co-founders Tre’von Griffith and Shelton Boyd-Griffith, whose professional backgrounds bridge the gap between high art and grassroots activism. Griffith, a composer and director, recently wrote original music for Tarell Alvin McCraney’s We Are Gathered at Arena Stage. Boyd-Griffith brings a journalistic lens to the event, with a portfolio including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Ebony, and ESSENCE, and previous leadership as creative director of The Black AIDS Institute.
This leadership has earned the festival significant institutional recognition. The Riverfront Times named it Best Arts and Music Festival, and the St. Louis Business Journal recognized it as a Business of Pride honoree.
Public Health Integration and Corporate Partnerships
WerQfest integrates essential health services directly into the festival environment. MISTR, a telemedicine platform, provides attendees with free, discreet access to PrEP, STI testing, and sexual health care.
Other returning sponsors include the Department of Health and fashion brand Brandon Blackwood. The event concludes with the “Afties” official afterparty, held in collaboration with the dance collective Let’s F*cking Dance.
Economic Impact on the St. Louis Creative Sector
The 2026 edition is positioned as its biggest yet.