American pop star Chappell Roan left some Australian fans surprised over the weekend after declining to take part in a shoey during her Gold Coast set at the Laneway Festival.
The 27-year-old singer was performing on Saturday night when sections of the crowd began chanting “shoey,” urging her to participate in the well-known Australian party ritual of drinking from a shoe. Footage later shared to TikTok shows Roan pausing to clarify what fans were asking.
“Oh, oh, oh, that’s what you’re saying – drink a beer out of the shoe?” she asked, before firmly declining. “No. No, no, no, no, I want to talk about being gay,” she responded, drawing loud cheers from much of the audience.
Roan, who publicly came out as lesbian in 2024, has frequently spoken about embracing her identity and creating space for LGBTQ+ visibility at her shows. Rather than giving in to the chant, she pivoted the moment toward that message instead.
The shoey, often described as a celebratory or tongue-in-cheek tradition, involves pouring alcohol into a shoe and drinking it. The stunt gained global attention in part through sports figures such as Daniel Ricciardo and Tai Tuivasa, and has since become a common crowd chant at concerts across Australia.
Several international artists have obliged in the past. Harry Styles famously performed a shoey during his 2023 tour, later joking about regretting the experience. Others, including Post Malone and Lizzo, have also taken part while touring Down Under.
More recently, Benson Boone participated during a Sydney performance, opting to use water rather than beer.
Roan is currently touring Australia for the first time as part of the travelling Laneway Festival, with upcoming performances scheduled in Melbourne.
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