This weekend London’s ExCel building hosted the second ever RuPaul’s DragCon UK.
For the first time since the COVID-19 Pandemic, over 150 queens gathered from across the world for a 3 day celebration of drag, inclusivity and international queer joy. For many queens and attendees alike this was their first time to experience the convention, making it a memorable occasion.
The event began on Friday morning with the opening ceremony, consisting of RuPaul cutting a ribbon and declaring the convention open, before the iconic pink carpet runway. Queens from across the franchise’s wide range of seasons processed one-by-one down the middle of the convention area in dazzling attire while surrounded by crowds of fans.
After this, the next three days had a similar structure. The majority of the DragCon hall was dedicated to individual (or shared) booths for the queens to sell their merchandise, and meet fans. Each cubicle had been decorated by the resident queen to match her style, leading to a vast array of set design from the simpler to the highly immersive.
I was fortunate enough to be able to talk with Baga Chipz (DRUK S1) about the design choice behind her booth. Bright blue featuring the logo “Baga’s Laundrette” over cartoon pink underwear with what seemed to be real washing machines, it was truly a sight to behold.
“We have a different style of drag in Britain. We have the Panto, the Lily Savages, the Danny La Rues and it’s a bit more comedy based. With American Queens they’re very ‘okay mama slay!’ and they are fierce. It’s all about the look, the lip sync, the polish. Last UK DragCon I did a fish and chip shop, so I’ve got a laundrette now.”
Baga Chipz
On why specifically a laundrette, Baga stated that it was “bit of a tribute to the late June Brown who played Dot Cotton on EastEnders. I absolutely love the soaps” before continuing to refer to Cotton as “a legend” and a “cockney icon” worthwhile of “[getting] the washers out”.
Other booths of particular note included Maddy Morphis’ (decorated entirely in crochet) and Pagnia Heals’, which bore a strong resemblance to a crime scene complete with “she was robbed” in red spray paint on the walls. Victoria Scone’s faux tube carriage was also iconic. Queue times varied between booths, with some of the longer lines taking around an hour.
One benefit to the queues in my opinion (shockingly), was the ability to meet new people while waiting together. Attendees from all walks of life were present, some in drag, some as young as six or seven years old. When talking to Scarlett Harlett (DRUK S3), she stated that meeting the fans was a definite highlight of the event.
“My absolute favourite thing is meeting the young fans…..they’re so adorable and they always get so shy, you just see the absolute joy in their eyes that they’re meeting someone that they saw from the telly. It just feels really lovely to be able to have that moment with them, you know you’re making that kid’s little life.”
Scarlett Harlett
Guests also had the opportunity to attend a memorial booth dedicated to Cherry Valentine – a Drag Race UK Season Two Queen, artist and activist known for her kind nature and inspirational outlook. The booth featured several of the artist’s outfits along with space for people to leave messages of remembrance.
The rest of ‘Henny Lane’, ‘Glamazon Boulevard’, ‘Death Drop Alley’ and ‘Catwalk Boulevard’ consisted of drag-oriented businesses (primarily wig, costume and makeup shops), a children’s play area, the main stage area which held performances throughout the day and the Audible sponsored area. This was used to host “DragCon-Versation” sessions, where different queens would discuss topics ranging from advice for newcomers to their experiences as transgender drag performers and celebrating Black excellence. These discussions held a more intimate nature when compared to the crowds of the main stage due to their limited number and personal nature.
It would be impossible to cover the sheer number of individual performances held in the main stage throughout the three days, but two notable ones were that of the collective Drag Syndrome on the Friday and A’whora (DRUK S2) on the Sunday.
Drag Syndrome consists of several Drag performers (both Kings and Queens) with Down Syndrome, their electrifying attitude took the crowd by strom. While A’whora performed a memorable version of UK Hun? Featuring backing dancers The Teletubbies. Other notable non-drag performers attending the convention included several members of recent breakout tv show The Traitors: Kieran, Maddy (clutching a bag of frozen peas for a wisdom tooth injury), Amos and Amanda respectively. RuPaul himself made multiple onstage appearances, though it was in the role of DJ as opposed to Drag Queen. Both Saturday and Sunday also held after-party shows, Saturdays consisting of international talent, while Sunday’s lineup was all-winners based.
Prior to RuPaul’s DragCon UK, other locations for the convention were LA and NYC, making UK the only Europe-based DragCon location. As the series has expanded to a much larger global influence with seasons such as Drag Race Belgique, Drag Race Deutschland, Drag Race España, Italia, France and Holland, the necessity of non-American conventions has furthered. Throughout both guests and queens there was a wide variety of languages spoken and cultures shared.
When talking to Choriza May, a UK queen (DRUK S3) of Spanish origin, she stated that one of the most memorable moments from the convention for her had been the “random Duolingo session” of conversation behind the scenes, alongside meeting fans from across the globe.
“It was all of the queens in one room in the hotel having a tea party. You could hear all these different languages all at the same time. Getting to know queens who we know. We follow each other on Instagram and we chat sometimes, but just to put a face to them and getting to meet all of them is just so gorgeous. It has been amazing.”
Choriza May
It is yet to be seen if there will be further plans to host future conventions in Asia or South America, both continents also hosting their own spin off series (the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and Chile respectively).
Another area that stood out to me at DragCon 2023 was disability inclusivity. VIP guests were able to enter the venue early, allowing some to meet queens before the crowds. The main stage included two additional platforms within the crowd accessible via wheelchair ramps, and during the Audible DragCon-Versations I noticed a sign language interpreter present. Allowing those hard of hearing to still enjoy the conversations held through BSL (though I did not see the same on the main stage throughout the weekend). It was encouraging to see an event visibly act on its promise of inclusivity.
Finally, I think the most significant thing I learnt from this experience was, unsurprisingly, that most people are shorter in real life than on TV but also, more importantly, nicer. Fans of the show will already know it is no secret that some queens received what is commonly known as ‘The Shade Edit’, leading them to be viewed less favourably by audiences in comparison to other contestants. This is to be expected with any reality TV show as part of the formula, but can often lead to issues regarding trolling.
It is clear that the Queens themselves are aware as to how they have been represented throughout the franchise, though in the case of Scarlett Harlett this has been a positive force for innovation.
“I feel like…from my time on Drag Race, I came across a bit amateurish because I didn’t know what I was doing (because technically I was an amateur). But I would like to show people that I’m an established performer, I’ve got a two octave vocal range. I want to get out there, keep performing and just show people what Scarlett can do.”
Scarlett Harlett
Overall I would highly recommend the event to anyone with a passionate interest in RuPauls Drag Race, beginners looking to learn more about the world of drag itself from a multitude of professionals or anyone who just considers themselves to be a Teletubby enthusiast in general.
In the words of Choriza May; “three days, make the most of it. Meet as many people as you can and go back home with an incredible boost of confidence”.
Series 15 of RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE has already premiered exclusively in the UK on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, from Saturday 7th January 2023. Subscribe now at https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/ . Tickets for DragCon LA are also now on sale.