About:
the Festival

Gender Bender has been intercepting cultural and artistic imagery related to the body and gender for 20 years. It takes place every year in Bologna and its programming spans the entire city. It has an international outlook and an interdisciplinary vocation and each year hosts artists from all over the world.

For more than 20 years, the festival has been presenting the imagery produced by contemporary international culture related to new representations and relationships generated by the expression of bodies, gender differences and sexual orientations

Gender Bender is a multidisciplinary festival and offers a series of events ranging from film showings, to theatrical productions and dance performances, visual arts exhibitions, installation, round tables and conferences, live concerts and performances by musicians and djs, and clubbing events.
It is a real model of how differences can give a contribution to the construction of a more rich and welcoming society from the human, social and cultural point of view.



Gender Bender is produced by Il Cassero LGBTI+ Centre in Bologna.


2022 edition

Find out the 20th edition program!

14 days of programming, 60 events, 9 national premieres, 20 dance performances, 18 movies, 5 parties, 4 network projects and much more.

Past editions

The festival has been held annually in Bologna since 2003 and passes through many places in the city, scheduling events in theatres, cinemas, libraries and auditoriums, clubs and associations, squares and open-air venues.

Volunteers 2022

Gender Bender
wants you!

Once again Gender Bender is looking for volunteers with a curiosity to see and learn about new experiences and a desire to actively collaborate in the realization of the Festival. We are looking for hall assistants to welcome the public to the various festival venues during the events and people at the information desks, where the public can pick up the program.
You can send your application to malisardi@genderbender.it