Short answer: The biggest kink events of 2027 are Folsom Street Fair (San Francisco, late September), Folsom Europe (Berlin, 8 to 12 September), International Mr. Leather (Chicago, Memorial Day weekend), Easter Berlin (24 to 29 March), Beyond Darklands (Antwerp, 16 to 22 February) and London’s Torture Garden balls. If you only travel for one, make it Berlin in September. Folsom Europe week and the city’s year-round club scene overlap, so one trip gets you the festival week and the regular club scene.
Last checked: 19 October 2026. Organizers move dates, so the table tells you which ones are announced and which are expected from past years. Check the official link before you book anything. Guide by Skywalker. How we check our guides.
2027 kink event calendar at a glance
| # | Event | City | 2027 dates | Status | Mainly for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid-Atlantic Leather | Washington, DC | 15-18 Jan | Announced | Gay/queer men, leather |
| 2 | Beyond Darklands | Antwerp | 16-22 Feb | Announced | Gay men, all fetishes |
| 3 | Torture Garden Valentine’s Ball | London | February | Expected | Everyone, strict dress code |
| 4 | Easter Berlin | Berlin | 24-29 Mar | Announced | Gay men, leather/rubber |
| 5 | CLAW | USA (city TBA) | Spring | Expected | Gay men, leather |
| 6 | German Fetish Ball Week | Berlin | 5-9 May | Announced | Mixed, all orientations |
| 7 | International Mr. Leather (IML) | Chicago | 27-31 May | Expected | Gay men, leather |
| 8 | Folsom Street East | New York | Mid/late June | Expected | Everyone, street fair |
| 9 | Fetish Week London | London | Mid-July | Expected | Gay men, all fetishes |
| 10 | Up Your Alley | San Francisco | 25 Jul | Expected | Mostly gay men |
| 11 | Fetish Con | St. Petersburg, FL | August | Expected | Everyone, fetish models and fans |
| 12 | Folsom Europe | Berlin | 8-12 Sep | Announced | Everyone at the fair, men at the parties |
| 13 | Folsom Street Fair | San Francisco | 26 Sep | Expected | Everyone |
| 14 | HustlaBall Berlin | Berlin | Mid-October | Expected | Gay men |
| 15 | Wasteland | Amsterdam | Around Halloween | Expected | Everyone, strict dress code |
| 16 | Klub Verboten | London and Berlin | Monthly | Ongoing | Everyone, consent-first |
| 17 | Killing Kittens | London and worldwide | Year-round | Ongoing | Women-led, couples and singles |
“Announced” means the organizer or a major listing has published the 2027 dates. “Expected” is our estimate from the event’s usual pattern.
Winter (January to March)
1Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, Washington DC
MAL opens the leather year, and it’s been running since the 1980s. Centaur Motorcycle Club produces it. The weekend centers on the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather contest, with a big vendor hall, bar takeovers across the city, and the closing party on Sunday night. 2027 is the last year at the Hyatt. From 2028 it moves to the Washington Hilton because it has outgrown the hotel, so the next one may feel a bit cramped.
Book the host hotel early or you’ll end up commuting across town in harness and chaps in January. That’s colder than it sounds.
What attendees say
“For me the feeling was akin to when you walked into your first gay bar and just how liberating that first few steps were… For my first MAL, I think I just scratched the surface.”
Brock Thompson, on his first MAL, Washington Blade (2020)
“It was pretty dreamy, a complete eye-opener. It was a super-friendly environment. Everyone was so chill. There was no judgment at all.”
First-timer Jerry Overby, quoted in Metro Weekly (2015)
“I was shocked at how nice people were.”
Larry Barat, remembering his first MAL, Metro Weekly (2008)
2Beyond Darklands, Antwerp
Darklands has been Europe’s winter leather festival since 2006 and draws more than 5,000 men from over 50 countries. For 2027 it’s renamed Beyond Darklands. The old outdoor site on the Scheldt quay is under redevelopment until about 2030, so the festival is moving indoors and spreading across several floors and venues. Expect the usual party lineup (the Fusion opening party is listed for Friday 19 February) and a crowd in serious gear.
Antwerp is small and walkable, and the Brussels to Antwerp train takes about 40 minutes. If Antwerp hotels sell out, stay in Brussels.
What attendees say
“It’s a fantastic event. You see friends from our community again. But it’s also about fun… Tall, short, heavy and thin people walk around here. And in all colors. Everyone is accepted here.”
Tio Lelieveld, Mr. Fetish World contestant, speaking to VRT NWS (2024, translated from Dutch)
3Torture Garden Valentine’s Ball, London
Torture Garden has run since 1990 and is the best-known mixed fetish club in Europe. The big seasonal balls (Valentine’s, Halloween, Christmas) are where it goes all out, with several rooms, performance art, a dungeon, and a crowd that treats the dress code as a competition. It’s genuinely mixed: straight, gay, queer, couples and groups.
Dress code: Strict fetish or fantasy wear. Street clothes get turned away at the door, and so does “black jeans plus a harness.” Go full latex, PVC, leather, burlesque or theatrical costume. Tickets for the balls sell out. Buy them when they’re released. See our kinky London guide for the rest of your trip.
What attendees say
“I had never worn latex before, and a pink babydoll was pretty perfect for my first time… I felt like I was transported to another world of fetish, fun and fantasy.”
Alice Snape, on her first Torture Garden Christmas Ball, Things & Ink (2015)
“We literally forgot all of our worries for one evening and danced and chatted and met interesting people.”
Alice Snape, same night
“My first time at Torture Garden tonight with friends. Made my outfit today and am really pleased with it.”
A first-timer the night of the February 2022 party, on X
4Easter Berlin (Berlin Leather & Fetish Week)
Berlin Leder und Fetisch e.V. runs this one. It’s the spring counterpart to Folsom Europe and fills the city with leather, rubber, skin, uniform and sports-gear crowds for a long weekend. Expect club parties every night, the PiG Easter party on Sunday, and bar takeovers around Nollendorfplatz and Motzstraße.
It’s smaller and more local than Folsom Europe, and the parties feel less touristy because of it. Pair it with our Berlin guide and add a night at KitKatClub, which is mixed and open to all genders.
What attendees say
“Back to Easter Berlin after 15 years, it was my first time attending any fetish event and visiting Germany. I still remember the weather as cold as last time. I still remember for the first time I felt totally free to be who I always wanted to be.”
An attendee looking back on his first Easter Berlin, on X (2023, lightly edited)
Spring (April to June)
5CLAW (Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend)
CLAW is one of the largest leather conventions in the US, with educational sessions, a huge vendor market and nightly parties. In 2025 the organizers said they couldn’t sign a hotel contract in Cleveland, so the 2026 edition moved to Columbus, Ohio (2-5 April 2026). Watch their site for the 2027 city before you book anything.
CLAW is unusually strong on education. If you’re newer to leather, this is a better first convention than a pure party weekend.
What attendees say
“There’s a CLAW by day and a CLAW by night. During the daytime, it’s very vanilla, with vendors, silent auctions, and field trips.”
Greg Erickson, CLAW organizer, to Cleveland Scene (2008)
“As a card-carrying member of NYC-PAH (NYC Pups and Handlers), I couldn’t stay away from CLAW’s K9-friendly happenings.”
Photographer Zak Krevitt, VICE (2016)
“CLAW leather weekend in Cleveland, OH is one of those big events where the term leather encompasses literal leather gear and it also means fetishwear such as rubber, spandex/lycra, neoprene, the pups, etc. Like Chicago’s IML in that sense.”
A rubber and lycra fan explaining who CLAW is for, on X (2024)
6German Fetish Ball Week, Berlin
This is the event for mixed and straight kinksters who find Folsom too male. GFB is a week-long run of fetish parties, fashion shows, workshops and a fetish fair. Couples, women and solo travelers of every orientation come for it, and the dress code is enforced. The 2027 program is already out: Kinky Cocktails on Wednesday 5 May, a Fetish & Femdom Cruise on Thursday, Fetish Guerilla at KitKatClub on Friday 7 May, the German Fetish Fair at the Heeresbäckerei on 7 and 8 May, and the main ball at Spindler & Klatt on Saturday 8 May.
May is a good month for Berlin anyway. Combine the GFB nights with the regular Berlin club calendar in our Berlin guide.
What attendees say
“German Fetish Ball was once again a blast. Big hugs and kisses to all lovely friends I met and sadly missed many in the crowded place.”
A regular after GFB 2026, on X (May 2026)
7International Mr. Leather (IML), Chicago
IML is the biggest leather contest in the world and has run in Chicago since 1979. Even if you skip the contest, the Leather Market, the Black & Blue Ball and the bar takeovers in Boystown/Northalsted are reason enough to go. The crowd is mainly gay and bi men, though the market is open to everyone.
The host hotel sells out within days of booking opening. See our kinky Chicago guide for the rest of your time in the city.
What attendees say
“It was the most horrible experience I ever had… So I was dreading IML this year. But low and behold, I end up becoming International Mr. Leather.”
James Lee, International Mr. Leather 2018, on going back after a rough first IML, Out (2018)
His story is a good reminder that one bad weekend doesn’t define the event. Go with friends, or volunteer, and it’s a very different experience.
8Folsom Street East, New York
New York’s answer to Folsom has run for more than 25 years. It’s a one-day outdoor street festival with vendors, demo stages, community groups and a lot of skin, followed by after-parties. It’s smaller and more relaxed than San Francisco and very mixed in gender and orientation.
Land on Friday, do the street fair Sunday, and stay for Pride the following weekend if you can. Our NYC guide covers the rest.
What attendees say
“You see people here that you haven’t seen all winter.”
Alex White, a New York public school teacher, who said the fair has always had “good energy,” Gay City News
“It’s a beautiful day in New York City, and we’re all here out in the open having a great time.”
Mark Nelson, downtown promoter, same report
Summer (July and August)
9Fetish Week London
A full week of men’s fetish parties in London, built around a big Saturday night (Full Fetish) and a Sunday social to close. Rubber, leather, sports gear and pup nights are all on the schedule. Regular monthly nights like Hard On in Vauxhall often run special editions that week.
London hotels are expensive in July, so book early or stay near a Victoria or Northern line station. Our London guide lists the regular nights running the rest of the year.
What attendees say
“I’ve bumped into colleagues from work, politicians and even a Hollywood actor!”
Ethan, a regular, to Xtra (2014)
“I was worried, queuing up with guys who drink protein shakes to rent a uniform I knew I wouldn’t feel comfortable in… Walking back to the tube, I felt simultaneously the youngest and the straightest I’ve ever felt.”
Clive Martin, on a Fetish Week sportswear night, VICE (2012)
That second one is honest about what it’s like to turn up without the right gear, so take the dress code seriously.
10Up Your Alley (Dore Alley), San Francisco
This is Folsom’s smaller, rougher sibling, run by the same nonprofit. It’s mostly a local crowd of gay and bi men and more cruisy than the September fair. Many regulars prefer it because it hasn’t turned into a tourist event.
Bring cash for the donation at the gate. The money goes to local charities. See our San Francisco guide.
What attendees say
“I feel free, I feel amazing. It’s nice to see the community coming together. I love the energy.”
Jahmar Amani, from Miami
“It’s more what Folsom started out as… You look around, you see more guys in leather than anything else.”
Tats, 88, a Bernal Heights local
“It’s like a party, a freeing-yourself kind of party. No judgment.”
Juan Estrada, from Dallas
All three were quoted in The San Francisco Standard (July 2026).
11Fetish Con, St. Petersburg (Florida)
This one has a different feel from the others. Fetish Con is a convention for fetish models, photographers, creators and fans, so expect photo shoots, a large vendor floor, workshops and themed parties at night. It’s very mixed and runs heavily on latex, bondage and fetish fashion.
It’s good for networking if you shoot or create content. It’s less of a play event than the clubs on this list.
What attendees say
“Tremblay said the first time he went was a ‘little nerve-racking.’ That was until he realized he was accepted for who he was there and felt comfortable. He kept coming back, and now knows hundreds there, that’s why it’s his ‘big family reunion.’”
A rope enthusiast who has attended almost every year since 2004, profiled by the Tampa Bay Times
Autumn (September to December)
12Folsom Europe, Berlin
This is Europe’s largest fetish street festival. The Saturday fair is open to everyone (entry is by donation), and it takes over several blocks of Schöneberg. The week around it is packed with parties, including Testosterone (Friday 10 Sep), PiG (Saturday 11 Sep) and the Recon closing party (Sunday 12 Sep). Most of the big night parties are men-only. The fair itself is mixed.
Our tip for 2027: arrive Wednesday, do the fair Saturday afternoon, and save a Sunday for KitKatClub or one of the mixed parties in our Berlin guide.
What attendees say
“I expected a Muscle Gay circuit party, but every body type and race was represented, including trans-masc folks… I left the neighborhood each night buzzed from cheap beers with a huge grin and sticky shoes.”
Writer Leo Herrera, on Folsom Europe 2023, Herrera Words
“It is because of Folsom that more leather and fetish shops have recently opened in Berlin.”
Alain Rappsilber, festival organizer, to Siegessäule
“Folsom Europe has been amazing!! So many nice people, so many hot guys in their gear whether it be Latex, Leather, Pup, Biker, Skinhead. I cannot wait to come back!”
A pup at Folsom Europe 2023, on X (profanity trimmed)
“Throwback to my first Folsom Europe. It’s been an amazing time (or breathless puppy time) with everyone I met along the way. Thanks for showing me a community with so much possibilities, dedication, (and painfully tough trainings).”
A first-timer at Folsom Europe 2026, on X
13Folsom Street Fair, San Francisco
This is the original and still the biggest, with hundreds of thousands of people and every fetish you can name. You’ll see demo stages, flogging booths, vendors, dance stages and community groups, with straight, gay, queer and trans visitors side by side. The party calendar runs for the whole week before.
Pay the suggested donation at the gate. It funds the event and local charities. Wear sunscreen. SoMa can be surprisingly hot in late September. See our San Francisco guide.
What attendees say
“The result was a more relaxed vibe than the cattle-herded feeling that’s affected the fair as its become more popular.”
Jon Bauer, on the 2025 fair, 48 Hills
“I’ve been singing the praises of Folsom to out-of-towners for years… smugly describing the debaucherous scenes on the streets, and the amazing fetish fashion.”
Adriana Roberts, The Bold Italic (2024)
“Went to the Folsom street fair for the first time! My partner got his hair cut by @Salon_deSade on the street.”
A first-timer’s year-in-review list, on X (2017). Yes, there’s a fetish barber on Folsom Street.
14HustlaBall Berlin
A gay party weekend tied to the adult film industry. The main Friday night at KitKatClub mixes live shows, porn performers and a very uninhibited crowd. There’s a welcome event, a warm-up party and an after-party around it.
It’s men-only and explicit. If you’re after a mixed Berlin party in October, look at Klub Verboten’s Berlin dates instead.
What attendees say
“I’d been waiting for this party all year, and honestly, I was disappointed. The performance didn’t impress me, actors looked tired.”
An attendee at HustlaBall 2025, on X (October 2025)
“What really shocked me: phones were officially allowed at KitKatClub this time. KitKat and phones just don’t belong together. The moment you pull one out, the magic is gone.”
Same attendee, part 2 of the thread
That’s one person’s night, but it’s worth knowing: HustlaBall is a show-and-party weekend, not a techno night, so go for the performers and the crowd, not the DJs.
15Wasteland, Amsterdam
Wasteland has been running since 1994 and is one of Europe’s biggest fetish raves. It’s a mixed crowd with a strict dress code, and it puts big production behind it: themed sets, performers and techno until morning. The Halloween edition is the most dressed-up night of the year.
Combine it with our kinky Amsterdam guide, which covers the clubs and shops running the rest of the week.
What attendees say
“A huge circus tent as a dance floor with a stage for various DJs and performances such as fire shows… Sometimes so elaborate that you could no longer recognize a face.”
Fabienne Wiedmann, on the stages and outfits at Wasteland Summerfest 2024, Orkus
“With six stages throughout the venue, there was plenty to get lost in.”
VICE, reporting from Wasteland (2015)
16Klub Verboten, London and Berlin
Klub Verboten isn’t an annual festival, but it’s on this list because it’s one of the most popular kink parties in Europe and it travels. It’s a mixed, queer-friendly fetish club that takes consent and safeguarding more seriously than most. They also run a lower-key “Verboten Social” for newcomers who haven’t joined yet.
Membership and vetting apply, so apply well before your trip.
What attendees say
“Three words ran through my mind when I entered my first-ever fetish club night: I am home.”
Anastasiia Fedorova, on her first Klub Verboten party, Gay Times (2025)
“Here, in a sex party, I feel so so much safer than in any other club.”
K.B., an art student, to VICE (2019)
“The first time I went I didn’t like it.”
Hanny, now a Klub Verboten co-organizer, in the same VICE piece. Give it more than one night.
“Plans for tonight: 6:30pm, let’s take a nap before going to Klub Verboten! 3:30am, something gone wrong. Let’s sleep a couple hours more!”
Every Klub Verboten regular, ever, on X (2023). Parties run late, so plan your nap.
17Killing Kittens, London and worldwide
A women-led sex party brand where women set the pace and couples and single women are prioritized. The events are glamorous and masked, with a polished, high-end feel. You need membership through their app before you can buy tickets.
Single men are restricted at most events. Check the event type before you apply.
What attendees say
“I received an email outlining the rules: men couldn’t approach women or linger alone… It was fun meeting such outgoing, open people and hearing their stories about their various escapades.”
Lilith Haze, on a Killing Kittens party in Toronto, VICE (2015)
She also admits she “felt a little empty” afterwards, which is a fair warning that the glamour isn’t for everyone.
How to plan a kink trip around an event
- Book the hotel before the ticket. For IML, MAL and Folsom Europe, rooms near the action sell out months ahead. Tickets usually don’t.
- Pack for the dress code, not the weather. Most door staff won’t accept “I’ll change inside.” Bring a coat you can check.
- Check the gender policy. Many big parties are men-only. Torture Garden, German Fetish Ball, Wasteland, Klub Verboten and Fetish Con are the most mixed on this list.
- Use the week, not just the night. Every event on this list has a fringe program of smaller parties, munches and workshops, and that’s often where you meet people.
- Know the consent rules. Ask before you touch, take a no as final, and don’t photograph people without permission. Most of these events ban phones on the play floors.
FAQ
What is the biggest fetish event in the world?
The Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, held on the last Sunday of September. In 2027 that’s 26 September. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors.
What is the biggest fetish event in Europe?
Folsom Europe in Berlin. In 2027 the festival week runs 8 to 12 September, with the street fair on Saturday 11 September.
Which kink events are good for straight people or couples?
Torture Garden (London), German Fetish Ball Week (Berlin), Wasteland (Amsterdam), Klub Verboten (London and Berlin), Killing Kittens and Fetish Con are the most mixed. Folsom Street Fair and Folsom Street East are open to everyone, but most of their after-parties are for men.
Do I need to wear fetish gear to get in?
At the street fairs (Folsom, Folsom Europe, Folsom Street East, Up Your Alley), no. At the club events, yes. Torture Garden, Wasteland, Klub Verboten and most Berlin parties turn away street clothes.
When are 2027 dates usually confirmed?
Most organizers publish the next year’s dates between late autumn and spring. We update this page as dates come in, so the status column above shows what’s confirmed right now.
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