The UK Bootblack Contest is a non-gendered contest for all levels of ability that aims to showcase the talents of the diverse community of bootblacks we have in the UK, looking at all aspects of what bootblacking is and can be, from technical aspects, passion, service and heart and sole. It will be a fantastic experience to come and join other bootblacks on the stands and have fun with it! It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing it, we promise you will learn a lot and get a huge amount out of competing, win or lose!
The UK Bootblack Contest 2024 will take place in Manchester from Friday 29th November to Sunday 1st December 2024. The weekend will consist of a Friday night fetish party and a Saturday afternoon fetish market with the final results of the contest being announced at 6pm. There will also be an optional Winner’s Brunch from 11 until 3pm on the Sunday.
The Friday night party will run from 7.00pm until 3am. There will be space for public bootblack stands so the contestants can care for your gear and shine your boots, a play space, bar and dance floor.
The Saturday fetish market will run from 1pm until 7pm. We will have space for public bootblack stands, a number of vendor stalls, and stage shows to keep you entertained. The winner of the contest will be announced on stage at 6pm.
On the Sunday we will have a set menu Winner’s Brunch, where we get to celebrate the winner of the glorious UK Bootblack Sash (made for us by the wonderful Ollie at Fetish Daddy) and enjoy some social time together in community. This is optional and the venue is limited in capacity. The brunch is not included in the weekend pass ticket, and will need to be purchased separately. If you buy a brunch ticket, we will email you the menu for your information. We aim to cater for all dietry requirements.
The contest is open to all gender identities and bootblack skill levels of people over the age of 18 who live within the British Isles and Ireland. Registration is open until 17th November 2024. We encourage potential contestants to talk to us regarding their accessibility needs in advance if they wish to. Please email: ukbootblackcompetition@gmail.com