RuPaul's DragCon NYC

The entrance of RuPaul's DragCon in NYC in 2017
RuPaul's DragCon in NYC in 2017

RuPaul's DragCon NYC is an annual fan convention and expo of drag culture held in New York City, which debuted in September 2017.[1] It is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA which was launched in Los Angeles in 2015 billed as a “convention that celebrates ‘the art of drag, queer culture and self-expression for all’”.[2] The NYC event is considered the "world's largest celebration of drag culture" with 100,000 attendees.[3][1] The event is an outgrowth of the internationally successful RuPaul's Drag Race, which generated Drag Race Thailand, RuPaul's Drag Race UK, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and Chile's The Switch Drag Race. RuPaul's Drag Race and the two DragCons come from World of Wonder Entertainment (WOW), a production company based in Los Angeles.[4] The first RuPaul's DragCon NYC was held in 2017 at the Javits Center, with over 40,000 attendees at the two-day all-ages event;[5][6] it “garnered 687 million (online) impressions in 2018.”[7] Based on the success of the original LA event, the NYC event expanded to three days in 2019: both had over 100,000 attendees in 2019.[8][9]

At RuPaul's DragCon NYC, past RuPaul's Drag Race contestants and other well-known drag artists meet with fans, take pictures, sign autographs, and sometimes perform or take part in a discussion panel, as well as sell merchandise.[1][4] The discussion panels vary from more obvious topics like clothing, fashion, wigs, and makeup, to history of drag, drag activism, trans rights, queer pop culture, and political issues facing the LGBTQ community.[2][4][10] WOW's co-director and producer of the convention, Randy Barbato, shared that ironically the panels have significant depth, because although drag queens are known for being fun and about their looks, the queens are smart artists and activists.[4] He also said, "For us, drag has always been political!"[11] The main stage presents performances and runway events all day long.[12] There are also over 220 vendors offering drag supplies and accessories; at the 2018 event they sold over $8 million in merchandise.[8][13]

According to Glossy, “the event’s core demographic are 18- to 34-year-olds, with 60% female attendees and 40% male. About 60% of DragCon’s audience identify as LGBTQ and 40% as heterosexual.”[7] Kids under ten are let in free when accompanied by an adult.[14] IndieWire notes that DragCon is similar to the annual Burning Man art festival in that attendees exhibit radical self-expression, the culture is participatory and inclusive, and what is presented is ephemeral.[2]

  1. ^ a b c "Ginger Minj Teases New Music & a Major RuPaul's DragCon NYC Makeover: 'I Can't Screw This Up'". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  2. ^ a b c Poe, Matthew (June 1, 2015). "Queen of All He Surveys: A Weekend Inside RuPaul's Drag Empire". IndieWire. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Julia Dzurillay (August 25, 2019). "Is DragCon Worth the Money? Breaking Down the Costs of Attending the World's Largest Drag Culture Convention". Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "This panel lineup will have you sashaying to DragCon". am New York. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  5. ^ "100 Photos of RuPaul's DragCon NYC Having a Glamour Attack". www.advocate.com. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  6. ^ Smith, Ali (2018-10-01). "RuPaul's DragCon NYC – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  7. ^ a b Rao, Priya (August 26, 2019). "Beauty brands are tapping RuPaul's DragCon to expand their audience". Glossy. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  8. ^ a b Giannotta, Meghan (July 9, 2019). "DragCon NYC, aka drag Disneyland, is back this fall". am New York. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  9. ^ Ifeanyi, K.C. (September 23, 2019). "How 'RuPaul's Drag Race' is doubling down on the experience economy". Fast Company. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  10. ^ Im, Jimmy (May 30, 2019). "How 'RuPaul's Drag Race' helped mainstream drag culture — and spawned a brand bringing in millions". CNBC. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  11. ^ "At RuPaul's DragCon NYC, Everyone Can Feel Empowered". PAPER. 2017-09-11. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  12. ^ "A Beginner's Guide to Attending RuPaul's DragCon". Teen Vogue. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  13. ^ Assunção, Muri (September 8, 2019). "RuPaul's Dragtastic universe is a very lucrative business". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  14. ^ Biese, Alex (August 29, 2019). "RuPaul's DragCon NYC returns for 2019: 'The most fun I've ever had'". USA Today. Retrieved 2019-08-30.