May 30, 2001 – The Pet Shop Boys and Creative Artists Agency today announced the details for the new nationwide summer music festival called Wotapalava. Wotapalava will play 18 North American markets beginning July 13th in Miami and winding up in Houston, TX August 11th. Presale tickets for Wotapalava, presented by leading gay and lesbian online communities PlanetOut.com and Gay.com (wotapalava.planetout.com and wotapalava.gay.com), went on sale May 22nd for the first six dates of the tour, with the remaining going on presale Friday, June 1st. On June 2nd tickets will go on sale in Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; Wantagh, NY; Boston, MA, Balt/DC and Holmdel, NJ, with the remaining tickets going on sale June 9th.

In addition to the Pet Shop Boys, the mainstage lineup includes Soft Cell, the Magnetic Fields and Rufus Wainwright. Wotapalava will feature the diverse and eclectic talent of artists -- gay and straight -- and celebrate the goal of equality for everyone, including gay and lesbian people.

"Wotapalava is a celebration of the freedom to be what you want to be and about having the power to live as you want without fear or discrimination," explains Pet Shop Boy/Wotapalava creator Neil Tennant. "The diversity of the performers contradicts any stereotyping, we are not defined solely by our sexuality. Being homosexual is an important part of our lives, but only one part of it."

In addition to the main stage, Wotapalava will include a stage featuring continuous dance music from Junior Vasquez, Danny Tenaglia, Peter Rauhofer, Tracy Young, Abel, Tom Stephan, Tasty Tim, Susan Morabito, Phil B, James Anderson, Lydia Prim, Manny Lehman, Mark Anthony, DJ Bone, Alex Lauterstein, Sylvain Girard, Ralphi Rosario, Kostas, Dawna Montell, Frank Abraham, Paulo, Chris Sills and Jimpy, as well as many Broadway and cabaret performers.

A dollar of each ticket will benefit the work of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian and gay advocacy organization. In addition, HRC will share a portion of the proceeds with local youth organizations serving the LGBT community.

WOTAPLAVA TOUR DATES AND VENUES:

Fri	Jul 13	Miami, FL	AT&T Amphitheatre
Sun	Jul 15	Atlanta, GA	Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre
Wed	Jul 18	Wantagh, NY	Jones Beach Amphitheatre
Fri	Jul 20	Boston, MA	Bank Boston Pavilion
Sat	Jul 21	Columbia, MD	Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sun	Jul 22	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
Mon	Jul 23	Cleveland, OH	Blossom Music Center
Wed	Jul 25	Burgettstown, PA	Post Gazette Pavilion
Fri	Jul 27	Toronto, Ontario	Molson Amphitheatre
Sat	Jul 28	Clarkson, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sun	Jul 29	Tinley Park, IL	Tweeter Center
Tue	Jul 31	Englewood, CO	Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre
Fri	Aug 3	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sat	Aug 4	Irvine, CA	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun	Aug 5	Chula Vista, CA	Coors Amphitheatre
Wed	Aug 8	Dallas, TX	Smirnoff Music Center
Fri	Aug 10	Selma, TX	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sat	Aug 11	The Woodlands, TX	Woodlands Pavilion