World Goth Day

World Goth Day is "a day when the goth scene gets to celebrate its own being, and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world." The day celebrates the cultural aspects of the goth subculture, including fashion, music, and art. Fashion shows, music performances, and art exhibitions are held. Some events have supported charities such as the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

World Goth Day began as Goth Day in the United Kingdom in 2009. On Friday May 22, 2009, goth music was broadcast on BBC 6 Music as part of a weekend of radio shows focused on alternative and subculture music such as goth, punk, and Britpop. Inspired by the radio special, UK goth DJ Lee Meadows, also known as DJ Cruel Britannia, who later became known as BatBoy Slim, made a Myspace post suggesting the creation of a "Goth Day" to go along with the goth airplay. He suggested that it should be celebrated across the United Kingdom with wearing goth clothes, playing old goth vinyl, and requesting goth music on the radio.

In 2010, with the help of social media and martin oldgoth, a goth DJ based out of London, Lee Meadows took Goth Day global. The goal for World Goth Day was to have fun and to create an environment of unity and positivity in the goth community. The day was embraced by the goth community, including by promoters and organizers, who created events for it. World Goth Day has continued to thrive since.

The goth subculture is associated with darkness but is not as altogether morbid or death-obsessed as it is often described. Its focus is on music, aesthetics, and fashion, and the scene is centered in nightclubs, festivals, and meetings. The style usually includes solid black clothing, black hair, and dark makeup. The clothing draws influence from punk, New Romantic, new wave fashion, in addition to earlier styles like Edwardian, Belle Époque, and Victorian.

Besides appearance, music is the most defining characteristic of the goth subculture. The subculture began in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s, developing from fans of gothic rock, which was born out of post-punk—the antithesis of mainstream pop of the early 1980s—and the punk movement that preceded it. Post-punk artists who informed the development of the music and subculture include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, the Cure, Bauhaus, the Cult, and the Sisters of Mercy. Beyond music, horror films and nineteenth-century Gothic fiction also have a large influence on the goth subculture. These and all other aspects of goth are celebrated today with World Goth Day!

How to Observe World Goth Day

• Wear your best goth fashion. Put on some black lace or a black floor-length gown. Dye your hair black. Don black eyeliner and lipstick. Showcase piercings and other accessories.
• Find an event near you to attend or check for events listed on the official World Goth Day website to attend.
• Book goth bands and DJs and organize a goth night.
• Listen to gothic rock and post-punk music. Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Cure, the Cult, Bauhaus, the Sisters of Mercy, and Joy Division are apt artists to start with. You could also listen to music from the following lists:
  • "The 16 essential goth albums you need to know"
  • "40 Years of Goth: Essential Albums from the Subculture's Beginnings"
  • "The 10 greatest goth albums of all time"
  • "Classic Goth's 13 Greatest Albums"
  • "Best Gothic Rock albums of all time"
• Encourage radio stations to play goth music. Local stations are most likely to be responsive.
• Watch a gothic horror film or a film related to or influenced by goth subculture.
• Read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, or other gothic fiction.
• Follow the World Goth Day Facebook page.
• Support goth-related charities such as the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
• Make plans to attend an upcoming gothic festival.
• Share how you are celebrating on social media along with the hashtag #WorldGothDay. Share pictures of yourself dressed up, what music you are listening to, and other ways you are taking part.
• If you don't consider yourself goth, you can use the day to support goths and other subcultures.

Exclusive Content

Enjoying Checkiday? It takes a lot of support from fans like you to run a free website. For exclusive content and other perks, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!

Sponsor

This event does not currently have a sponsor. If you'd like to increase visibility for this event while gaining exposure for yourself or your brand, you can learn more here!

Something Wrong or Missing?

We would love to hear from you! Please contact us using this form.

Observation Notifications

Would you like to be notified before the next observation? Add this event directly to your calendar with this link. You may also sign up here to be told when other notifications are available!