Fridae

The first ever gay music festival will debut in Miami on July 13. The Wotapalava music festival featuring gay and bisexual entertainers such as the Pet Shop Boys, Rufus Wainright and Sinead O'Connor is expected to tour 17 cities in the US, reports the Washington Post.

The festival, created by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys is meant to celebrate individuality and it will not be an all-gay line-up as the concert is open to non-gay artistes.

"Wotapalava will be a celebration of individuality and the freedom to be what you want to be. This is not exclusively an issue of sexuality; it's about having the power to live as you want," says organiser Neil Tennant, in a statement. He added, "This is not exclusively an issue of sexuality; it's about having the power to live as you want."

Organizers say they plan to donate one dollar from every each ticket sold to a national advocacy group and local charities to be determined at a later date. Details of the cities and dates will be announced later this week.

Wotapalava, in case you've been wondering, comes from an English phrase and refers to "a big fuss about nothing."