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Hosted throughout by radio and television presenter Harriet Rose, with special guest speakers, the shimmering solidarity showcase brought together musicians, DJs, actors, and activists in a five-hour celebration of the trans community.
In similar structure and spirit to September’s Together for Palestine concert in the same 12,500-cap auditorium, Trans Mission emerged from a partnership between Mighty Hoopla Festival and singer, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist Olly Alexander, formerly Years & Years. The one-night-only event aired its support of the Good Law Project, a legal action non-profit campaigning to fight against hate and spread hope, and the trans-led charity Not A Phase, committed to uplifting and improving the lives of trans+ adults across the nation.
Rose opened proceedings by introducing the night’s first performance from Tom Rasmussen, channeling a Bronski Beat-style uptempo energy with “There’s a Lot to be Happy About”, a defiant anthem to set the tone for the evening.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, a decision on the definition of man and woman, that “sex” refers solely to biological sex. In response, Rasmussen penned an open letter of solidary from the UK music industry to the transgender, non-binary, and intersex communities impacted by this ruling, reaching over 1000 signatures in May. Closing out his performance, Rasmussen exclaimed, “trans rights now, Free Palestine,” prompting a loud cheer from the arena.
In between speech and performance breaks, DJ Bestley delivered a run of queer pop classics from big names such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Lady Gaga, and Robyn, as the arena screen flashed baby pink and blue messages of liberation.
Repeated video messages of celebrity allies echoed positive affirmations: Paloma Faith, David Tennant, Jake Shears, Spice Girls Melanie C and Emma Bunton, plus missing billed performer Bimini all appeared, while BRITs and Grammy-winning artist Lola Young sent a message of support via Eurostar train. “To all my trans friends, you are loved, you are cared for. Everybody has a right to good health, to safety, to have a voice and for their voice to be heard. Keep being strong. Don’t let those motherfuckers tell you nothing,” the 25-year-old said.
Viral social media personality Tiara Skye and Lucy Dacus introduced a duet between jasmine.4.t and BRITs Rising Star Jacob Alon, performing their 2025 collaboration "Find Ur Ppl". Drag star Gottmik (pictured up top by Corinne Amos), the first trans man to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, brought the night’s first electric moment with a performance of “RIOT”, complete with guitar shredding and flame pyrotechnics.
Throughout the duration of Trans Mission, volunteers circulated around the arena collecting donations. Bespoke Not A Phase and Good Law Project t-shirts were also available to buy from the merch desk, and event profits were split evenly between both charities. Good Law Project’s Jolyon Maugham delivered a brief speech: “Trans joy is real. The voices of fascism will never win. Tonight, we’re here to party.”
Trans Voices choir welcomed Imogen Heap for a rendition of “Hide and Seek” that stunned the arena into silence, while Kate Nash followed with fiery new single “GERM”, referencing toxic masculinity and Donald Trump, before bringing out her early hit “Foundations” as smoke cannons fired and thousands raised their hands in the air. Other pop spectacles of a similar politically charged calibre included Rahim Redcar, in a pulsing command of Christine and the Queens tracks “Full Of Life” and “Deep Holes”, and an electric Beth Ditto with Gossip’s “Standing in the Way of Control”.
Indie favourites Wolf Alice performed an acoustic version of “Don’t Delete the Kisses”, and Sugababes appeared for a seated, stripped-back moment with “Overload”. Sophie-Ellis Bextor and LGBTQ+ collective Sink The Pink had everyone on their feet with crowd-pleaser “Murder on the Dancefloor”. Other guest performers on the night included MNEK and Kae Tempest.
Janet Ellis joined the stage with members of NION Women, a collective of cisgender women appalled by rising anti-trans rhetoric by the media and politicians, that “trans exclusion is not in our name”. They revealed that over 92,000 women have already signed their letter, and encouraged the crowd to join them, in calling on the truthful reporting on sources of violence,
Actor Russell Tovey looked out across the arena of sequin outfits and declared “we’ve made Wembley queer tonight,” meanwhile London Trans+ Pride founder Lucia Blayke and Stephanie Fuller, CEO of leading LGBT+ helpline Switchboard, led a chant of “trans rights now!”
Model and activist Munroe Bergdorf marked 16 years since she began her transition, and shared a powerful speech about life-saving access to gender-affirming healthcare. Stood beside her on stage was Caroline Litman, author of memoir Her Name Is Alice, detailing the story of her love and grief for her transgender daughter who took her own life. “Dance for those who no longer can,” she asked the applauding audience.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski was met with the warmest of speaker welcomes, addressing the crowd with a rousing speech: “Trans rights are human rights. Trans men are men, trans women are women, and nonbinary people exist... As a gay man, I know that when they come for one of us, they come for all of us, and we will all stand together.”
The final stretch of the night featured international artist Adam Lambert, who told the audience “We love our trans brothers and sisters”. Sir Ian McKellan recited "The Strangers’ Case" speech from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More, before a string of joyous, dance-led numbers from Alexander, Rose Gray, plus an overlong DJ set with Romy and HAAi.
Trans Mission ran with the steady rhythm of a political rally disguised as a pop concert, though not without its spectrum of encouraging words and outrage at the forces targeting trans lives. “Things might be getting worse, but we are never going back” expressed author Juno Dawson. Musician Jordan Stephens put it more bluntly: “Fuck transphobia.” Judging by the cheers echoing around the arena, the crowd stood strong in agreement.
English (US) · 