Global outings.

TOP PICK

1 Midsumma Melbourne 1/20-2/12, 2006 Follow the setting sun into the Southern Hemisphere for a three-week celebration of queer diversions: camp, cabaret, dubbing, and music. Last year's event included a tribute to the Divine Miss M and a tuneful show by Cheez Whiz--swilling diva Varla Jean Merman!

2 Queer Lounge at Sundance 1/21-1/29, 2006 Who'd have guessed that the best place to hobnob with Hollywood's hottest queer filmmakers would be in a tiny former silver mining town in the mountains of Utah? Launched in January 2004, the cozy Queer Lounge promises to generate bigger-than-ever buzz, hosting parties, panels, and press conferences for gay filmmakers affiliated with the Sundance and Slamdance film festivals. Watch out for John Cameron Mitchell's Homos Away From Home party (last year's fete featured a Scissor Sisters set).

3 LadyFest Stockholm 11/5, 2005 This nonprofit grrrl gathering is part of the international LadyFest circuit that started in Washington State in 2000,The 12hour event in the Stockholm suburb of Nacka--10 minutes from the city center--features local female performers (including lesbians), with guitar, cartoon-drawing, and karaoke workshops to boot. Boys are welcome to join in the fun.

4 Bangkok Pride Week 11/6-11/13, 2005 The Thai capital may seem a bit cluttered compared to its seaside neighbor Phuket, but this colorful queer festival infuses Bangkok with a raucous queer energy that lingers through the end of the year Rain and intense heat are less frequent in November, making the volleyball tournaments, dance parties, and river cruises all the more enjoyable. The elaborate costumes and frilly floats at the pride parade are truly over-the-top!

5 Tchaikovsky Festival 3/6 3/8, 2006 Was Piotr Tchaikovsky the queer rock star of his day? The Russian National Orchestra commandeers Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center to perform works by the master classical ballet composer--considered the only 19th-century composer that we know for certain was gay (it's rumored that he killed himself because of it), Making his New York orchestral debut, young Russian super-conductor Vladimir Jurowski breathes new life into Piotr's moody masterpieces, performing Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Hamlet, and others.

6 Cape Town Festival 3/3-3/21, 2006 "Celebrating Ubuntu (Humanity)" is this year's theme for South Africa's ultimate end-of-summer outing, a three-week homo-friendly arts festival showcasing well-known African musicians, filmmakers, dancers, actors, poets, and other artists, it all ends with a bang--an enormous Human Rights Day concert that will include a nod to gay issues.