Rites XLI: The Black Party® PUNK RIOT “Dancing to Freedom,” Further postponed.

New Date: To be announced.

Rites XLI: The Black Party will not take place in 2020 due to necessary health precautions. We did have a glimmer of hope that we would be able to pull off a late September event to coincide with The Saint`s 40th Anniversary, but the situation did not improve in time.

Those of you who have been around awhile, who kept The Saint alive during the AIDS crisis, trust that we are fully committed to preserving this tribal ritual which has become a symbol of our community`s ability to survive on our terms against all odds.

Black Party ticket holders should have received an email with details of the various options for a refund. Please access your ticket on Eventbrite and follow the prompts. For updates on our virtual events and upcoming blog features celebrating our 40th Anniversary Season, sign up for our e-newsletter.

We are proud to be at the forefront of New York City gay nightlife for forty years and to have built a flexible and sustainable organization that has the potential to continue to thrive in a post-COVID world. When the seminal East Village nightclub, The Saint, opened on September 20, 1980, its stated mission was to create a place where dancing was different than anywhere else, where men could “join together to perform the mystery and continue the rite.” Collectively, we have kept the spirit of The Saint alive while paying tribute to all the souls we lost along the way. Together we can ensure that there continues to be safe spaces for us to celebrate our community and ourselves.

Stay healthy.