Capital Kink

Pack your harness, book the hotel, and let Washington, D.C. show you how it does kink, drag, and nightlife—capital style.

For New Yorkers who live for a packed dance floor, iconic drag, and a little leather after dark, this may be the perfect excuse to hop on the Acela. Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL) 2026 is taking over Washington, D.C. this weekend, and KINETIC Presents is once again turning the nation’s capital into a full-throttle nightlife destination—headlined by a can’t-miss performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara.

Produced in partnership with the Centaur Motorcycle Club, KINETIC Presents’ nighttime programming anchors one of the most revered leather events in the world. MAL Weekend has been a cornerstone of global fetish culture since 1985, blending celebration, education, and philanthropy while raising significant funds for LGBTQ+ organizations. But once the sun goes down, it’s KINETIC that flips the switch, delivering four nights of high-production parties that rival—and in some cases outshine—anything happening back home in NYC.

The undeniable headline moment arrives Saturday night at KINK: Double Trouble, the official MAL main event. Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara will take the stage for a special pop-up performance ahead of their highly anticipated Serpents Tour, bringing Drag Race star power straight into the heart of Leather Weekend. It’s a rare chance to see two global drag icons in an intimate-but-electric club environment, surrounded by a crowd that knows how to cheer, sweat, and celebrate without restraint.

For New Yorkers used to hopping between Brooklyn warehouses and Manhattan mega-clubs, KINETIC’s production scale will feel thrillingly familiar, yet refreshingly different. Several of the weekend’s biggest events unfold at Berhta, Washington, D.C.’s largest nightlife venue. Spanning more than 100,000 square feet of industrial space, Berhta allows KINETIC to go big: multi-room sound design, immersive lighting installations, expansive staging, and dedicated play zones that fully embrace the spirit of MAL while maintaining sleek, world-class polish.

Tonight is UNCUT XXL x MACHO, a collaboration with WE PARTY, the globally celebrated nightlife brand from Spain. WE PARTY’s iconic MACHO concept brings a darker, sexier energy and a refined techno and tech-house soundtrack that has made waves across Europe and Latin America—now just a short train ride away from Penn Station.

Saturday’s main event delivers a historic DJ moment, with international electronic music icons Nina Flowers and Alex Acosta performing a first-ever back-to-back set. A dedicated tech-house room curated by The Carry Nation and Rose offers a darker, underground alternative.

Sunday closes things out on a high note with a community partner event produced by Masc Diva, featuring Horse Meat Disco at A.I. Warehouse. It’s a disco-drenched, joy-forward finale that balances the weekend’s kink with pure dance-floor euphoria.

Beyond the parties, MAL Weekend offers daytime workshops, social gatherings, a massive leather and fetish marketplace, and the crowning of Mr. MAL 2026. Last year alone, KINETIC Presents raised over $150,000 for LGBTQ+ charities during MAL, underscoring that this weekend is about more than nightlife—it’s about community, visibility, and impact.

Hotel details and daytime programming are available at LeatherWeekend.com, with tickets and full event information at KineticPresents.com.