What is World Goth Day?

If you're in the gothic or alternative subculture you might have heard of World Goth Day. But when is it and more importantly what is it? Keep on reading to find out!

Image credit: Seisha Butler

World Goth Day takes place on the 22nd May and is a day where the goth scene gets to celebrate its own being and is an opportunity to make its presence known to the world.

So now you know when it is, how did Goth and World Goth Day begin?

To give a very brief intro to Goth, the Goth subculture began in England in the 1980's, deriving from the post-punk music genre. Goth Bands including The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and Joy Division were very influential and developed and shaped the subculture.

World Goth Day was dedicated the 22nd May almost 30 years later in 2009, again originating in the UK. It began when BBC Radio 6 gave airtime to music from different subcultures, including Goth music. Goth DJ's Cruel Britannia and Martin OldGoth declared 22nd May World Goth Day.

So how can you celebrate World Goth Day? If you're in the UK, there's a popular event called The Whitby Goth Weekend. For 2023 the first Whitby Goth weekend is from 28th-30th April! (A month before World Goth Day but why not celebrate early?!)

However if you can't make it or don't live close there's still plenty of things you can do!

• Read classic gothic literature (Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley etc)

• Listen to Goth music (The Cure, Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division etc)

• Watch a gothic movie (The Crow, The Craft, The Lost Boys, Tim Burton films etc)

• Learn about the Gothic Subculture (you've already started this by reading this blog!)

• Make a donation to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation

• Attend a gothic or alternative event

• Support small or local goth artists and businesses

I hope this gave you some insight into the Goth subculture and gave you some ideas of how to celebrate World Goth Day!

What will you be doing this World Goth Day? Don't forget to let me know in the comments!

Stay Spooky,

Kirstie x