About

9 of the U.K.’s most prestigious Burlesque artists will compete for the newly-revamped title of Mx Burlesque U.K., in a glittering showcase held at the iconic Clapham Grand this September. The crème de la crème of the U.K. Burlesque scene will perform their own unique takes on a Red Carpet Parade, and perform acts in the Striptease and Unique categories, to demonstrate their artistry and skill in front of an electrifying audience and a panel of esteemed judges.

Who will be crowned Mx Burlesque U.K.?

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The Journey of Mx Burlesque

Founded in 2009 as Miss Burlesque Australia, Miss Burlesque held its first competition in July 2010 at Brisbane’s historic Old Museum heralding a new era in Australia’s neo-burlesque revival. In 2018 A’dora Derriere was appointed as Executive Producer of the international competition, assisted by Associate Producer Alyssa Kitt along with industry-leading state producers, launching Miss Burlesque UK that year with Miss Burlesque Scotland and Mr Boylesque UK being introduced in 2019. Miss Burlesque Ireland was launched in 2014.

The competition has since undergone several revisions with new rules, revised categories and a panel-based selection process, the most significant change being the merging of the Miss Burlesque & Mr Boylesque events in 2022 into a fully inclusive competition: Mx Burlesque.

As the global social consciousness opens up around evolving expressions of gender, Mx Burlesque naturally aligns itself with the LGBTQ+ community and seeks to establish an all-inclusive competition. We feel that this is very much historically in line with the core values of the modern burlesque revival at large, rooted in the empowering principles of feminism, which naturally encourage diversity and body positivity through breaking down structural barriers that force people into categories with which they do not identify. We believe that however you see yourself and how you wish to perform your stage character is your choice, as ultimately our goal is to provide an unparalleled prestige platform for performers to create and showcase their absolute best work.

The Mx Burlesque competition aims to elevate the professional standard of performance within the burlesque industry, encouraging supportive professional development through constructive criticism from industry pioneers and community leaders while simultaneously raising the public profile of this beloved art form in the process. Through this annual event we hope to share this rich historical tapestry of burlesque’s revival as well as present exciting possibilities for its future as a contemporary performance-based art form with its exceptionally theatrical cocktail of sexuality, satire and spectacle.