RuPaul's DragCon UK
| RuPaul's Drag Con UK | |
|---|---|
| Status | Upcoming |
| Genre | Drag culture convention |
| Venue | Olympia Exhibition Centre (2020) Exhibition Centre London (2023–present) |
| Location(s) | London (2020–present) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Inaugurated | 18–19 January 2020 |
| Most recent | 12–13 January 2024 |
| Next event | TBA |
| Organized by | World of Wonder |
| Website | uk.rupaulsdragcon.com |
RuPaul's DragCon UK is a fan convention and expo of drag culture held in London, UK. The convention debuted on 18 January 2020.[1] It is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA and NYC, which are related to the popular television show: RuPaul's Drag Race.[2]
DragCon markets itself to all people of all ages, its emerging target market is young children, who must attend accompanied by parents. Its secondary revenue is through door tickets and its primary revenue is through photo opportunities taken from customers on the day.
History
[edit]2020
[edit]After the events of RuPaul's DragCon LA and NYC, they announced another convention which took place at London. RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and the whole cast of RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 1) will join the convention.[3] The event took place on January 18–19.
Unfortunately, on the day of the event, people were waiting outside the venue for over two hours. Without any explanation, the security staff told the ticket holder to come back the next day.[4] Many people demanded a refund, and fans on Twitter compared the event to Fyre Festival and TanaCon.[5] The official Twitter account of RuPaul's DragCon explained that the Health and Safety officials advised them to stop the queue due to "health and safety fears".[6]
The convention had many panels, such as Sibling Rivalry Podcast, the Netflix series: AJ and the Queen, and RuPaul's Drag Race Las Vegas. The venue also had the signature Kid Zone, with Drag Queen Story Hour and a kids' fashion show.[7]
2023
[edit]In March 2022, RuPaul's DragCon UK announced that the convention is coming back after its indefinite hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] The convention is set to last for three days (6–8 January 2023) at the Exhibition Centre London with over 80 drag queens attending the events.[9] RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs the World contestants are also joining the convention, such as Baga Chipz, Pangina Heals, Lemon, and Mo Heart.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "RuPaul's DragCon UK Was Just Announced!". What A Drag. 8 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Ramsden, Sam (22 December 2019). "These Are The Queens Attending The First Ever RuPaul's DragCon UK". Bustle. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Grace, Paul (9 January 2020). "RuPaul'S DragCon UK sashays across the pond for the first time ever". Louder Than War. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ Dosani, Rishma (18 January 2020). "DragCon UK organisers speak out as upset fans complain about 'shambles' event". Metro. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ Yalcinkaya, Günseli (21 January 2020). "Help! DragCon UK was a capitalist hellscape – and I love it". Dazed. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ Baggs, Michael (19 January 2020). "DragCon UK: RuPaul fans left disappointed by 'huge' queues". BBC News. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ Yates, Jonathan (8 January 2020). "RuPaul's DragCon UK announce live panel timings and more". MyLondon. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "RuPaul's DragCon UK Sashays Back To Excel London To Host The Biggest Celebration Of Drag Culture Across Three Full Days". The Fan Carpet. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Hains, Rachel (10 March 2022). "RuPaul's Dragcon UK sashays back to London in 2023". WalesOnline. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ Whyte, Woodrow (16 May 2022). "RuPaul's DragCon UK to return in 2023: Here's how to buy tickets". PopBuzz. Retrieved 24 August 2022.