Meet the season 18 queens

Georgia Osier

Digital art depicts the RuPaul’s Drag Race logo and slogan.

On Tuesday, Dec 2, The Official accounts of RuPaul’s Drag Race released the first teasers and promotional material for the upcoming 18th season, as well as its release date of January 2nd, 2026. Many viewers hold high expectations for it, as season 17 had very mixed reviews. Season 17 had its fun moments, but it is not without its faults. The new season can renew the show’s reputation and make it truly something good again.

A good show needs a good cast, so who exactly are the new 14 queens coming to our television screens this January?

Our first contestant revealed is Briar Blush, the “Boston Princess” from none other than our home state of Massachusetts. She uses her perfect blend of modern and retro fashion, looking gorgeous in every era. Briar is well-known in the Boston Drag scene, having been featured in The Boston Globe for her commitment to her performances as well as her role in the community. Briar takes pride in her Latina heritage and incorporates it and her unique humor and style into all her work. 

Many fans have expressed excitement at her upcoming appearance in the show, complimenting her high-quality makeup and outfits. With many fans flooding her comments with praise, they are no doubt looking forward to this Boston queen’s debut on Drag Race.

Next on the roster is Ciara Myst. The self-proclaimed shape-shifting superstar of season 18 comes from Indianapolis, Indiana, and has made a strong impact on the drag community there. She directs the Indy Drag theater, is a “Drag Out the Vote” Drag ambassador, and has experience as a special effects makeup artist, hence her title of shape shifter. Ciara’s fashion is more on the alternative side, taking lots of inspiration from sci-fi, horror, and gothic media. The queen gets her name, Ciara Myst, from the lemon lime soda of the same name (but different spelling), Sierra Mist. 

Although the queen has received support for her fun and alternative looks, fans question how the judges will respond to her style. One of the main judges, Michelle Visage, is well known for her strong critiques of alternative makeup and her clear preference for more basic glam looks. Though fans expect to see some unfair criticism thrown her way, they are nonetheless excited for her appearance on the show.

Our next queen is the talented Darlene Mitchell. Based in Los Angeles, California, this queen is a stark contrast to our previous contestant. Darlene’s drag takes lots of inspiration from country and southern culture, and describes herself as a “campy country queen.” Outside of drag, Darlene works as a hair stylist and makeup artist, and was in the top 50 submissions for the Editorial Makeup category of the 2024 #OneShot Hair awards.  

Darlene’s online presence compared to the other queens of her season is a bit small, so fans aren’t quite sure what to expect from her quite yet. Nonetheless, her stunning promotional look has caught the eye of a great deal of viewers, and a majority express excitement at what this queen might bring to the season.

DD Fuego is the name of our next contestant, and already she’s caught viewers’ attention. DD has openly auditioned for Drag Race multiple times, and her appearance on the show is no surprise to long-term fans of the show. She is a self-proclaimed “entrepreneur” in and out of drag, producing music, art, and merchandise for all of her shows, and has been performing in drag for over 15 years. DD is another Latina queen on season 18, as she was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. She moved to New York City, where she currently lives, to attend school for art and design. 

DD Fuego has since worked on multiple film sets as both an actor and designer, and lots of fans look forward to seeing how she will use her experience in the new season.

Representing Seattle queens this season, our next queen is Jane Don’t. Jane is the drag sister of the season 15 pork-chop Irene The Alien, as well as season 14 contestant, Bosco, both of whom appeared on the most recent season of Drag Race: Stars. Irene and Bosco are extremely popular amongst drag race fans, and in their respective drag scenes, so many hold Jane Don’t to a higher standard due to her relationship with the two. Jane has also been credited for creating past runway looks that queens have worn on the show.

 Similar to Darlene Mitchell, Jane has a small presence on social media. Aside from her sewing skills, a background in DJ-ing(is that a word?) and comedy, fans aren’t quite sure what to expect from this queen.

Athena Dion is a name that may sound familiar to you if you’re up to date on RuPaul’s Drag Race, as it’s the name of none other than season 16 contestant Morphine Love Dion’s drag mother. This season, Athena makes her own entrance in the series to continue the Dion legacy and compete for the crown. Athena has been a part of the Miami drag scene for over 15 years and is considered a drag legend. She owns her own entertainment company, is fluent in 3 languages, and is well known for volunteering for the Jackson Burn Center and other local charities. With all that she has accomplished, Athena Dion has quite a high reputation. She also performed on season 11 of “America’s Got Talent” along with 4 other drag queens and performed as the “Spice Gurlz”, parodying the Spice Girls.

With the insane amount of experience Athena Dion has, it’s no wonder she’s become something of a fan favorite in only a matter of hours. What’s not to love? Fans look forward to seeing her perform on the show soon.

Weren’t we just talking about a Dion? It seems the entire Dion Dynasty has made its way to RuPaul’s main stage this year, as Juicy Love Dion is also featured on the upcoming season. Juicy Love Dion is the Drag daughter of season 16 queen, Morphine Love Dion, making her Athena Dion’s drag granddaughter. Juicy, or “Miami’s dancing doll,” is well known for her incredible gymnastics and dance abilities and was named the best drag performer of Miami in 2023. Juicy is considerably more relevant online than her fellow season 18 competitors, as she’s gone viral numerous times on social media over the past couple of months for showing off her stellar performance abilities.

Juicy appeared on season 18 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2024, and has been professionally dancing since she was only 14 years old. Fans are ecstatic to see how she’ll utilize her talent in the 18th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Next on our roster is the Discord Addams. This queen from St. Petersburg, Florida, is known for incorporating more Gothic and horror-esque themes into her fashion. In 2016, she won the Drag Horizon award, appeared with her partner, Gidget Von Addams, who is also a drag queen, in WOW’s “Couples for $ash” event, and appeared in “Transformations” with James St. James. 

This queen has been in the drag scene for over 13 years, and viewers are excited to see how she’ll utilize her experience in the show.

 A common criticism amongst fans for season 17 was that nearly every queen was under 30 years old and had only been in the drag scene for a handful of years, so the number of older and more experienced queens on the new roster has resonated positively with the fanbase, including our next contestant, Kenya Pleaser. Kenya Pleaser is the first queen from South Carolina to appear on the show, and with her stellar track record, it seems they couldn’t have picked a better queen to represent them. 

She is a long-time comedy queen, Lizzo impersonator, and even opened for hit pop star Chappell Roan on her Midwest Princess tour. Kenya promises to bring high-energy performances, humor, and southern charm to the drag race main stage this January, and fans can’t wait to see it.

Mandy Mango is our next queen competing for the crown this season. Mandy is a unique queen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was crowned Ms. Gettysburg in 2024. She describes her drag as kooky, conceptual, and playful. When she isn’t in drag, Mandy works as a nurse specializing in HIV and sexual health. Mandy Mango is ready to bring Philly’s favorite fruit and give it her all on this season of Drag Race.

Our next contestant, Mia Starr, is from West Palm Beach, Florida. Mia Starr is well known for her dancing abilities, specifically in the hip hop genre: “I bring choreography, I am a dancer queen…Hip hop dancer queen.” She says in an interview with World of Wonder. The queen says she’s not good at ballet and structured dance; instead, her talent lies in “real hip hop and pop stuff”. Mia started drag in 2008, but didn’t do it consistently as she became a trained dancer, performing as a backup dancer for celebrities like Rihanna, Camila Cabello, and Britney Spears. Mia also takes pride in her music and singing abilities and has released many albums with her covers of songs.

Mia is yet another queen that fans are excited will bring a fresh, new perspective to the show with her numerous talents, and hope that her years of experience will truly be able to shine in her time on the show.

Nini Coco is our next contestant in season 18’s lineup. A queen from Denver, Colorado, Nini loves to use big, bold, and glamorous silhouettes in her drag: “Everything I wear has to be sparkling and shining.” She tells the World of Wonder interviewer. Nini started drag back during the pandemic, as everyone was kept inside and bored out of their minds, she started experimenting with makeup and style. Though she may not have been in the drag scene for all that long, Nini says that it’s no measure of her talent or skill, and she is prepared to bring her most stunning performances to the stage this season.

The queen representing Orlando, Florida, this season is none other than Myki Meeks. Myki’s name is a play on her birth name, Mikey, and Meeks comes from a nickname her friend gave her. “My full legal drag name is Doctor Mikayla Meekerson, MD. The MD stands for mental disorder,” She jokes in an interview.” Myki gets most of her inspiration for her drag from theater, old Hollywood, and a little bit of raunchy party girl: “I’m like a cross between Ava Gardner and Charlie XCX!” Myki has a background in dance and performance in and outside of drag, as she also performed and opened for Chappell Roans’s Midwest Princess tour in 2024.

In the short time since she became a member of the upcoming season’s cast, Myki has already become considerably popular, as almost all the posts about her on the official social media pages get more likes compared to other contestants. Fans are no doubt excited to see what Myki will bring to the show.

The last but certainly not least in our lineup is Vita Vontesse Starr, a more traditional queen from small-town Montgomery, Alabama, who prides herself on her great sense of feminine fashion. Vita says powerful drag is her strong suit, and that with her performances, she means to tell a story that captivates viewers, saying that “being captivating is an essence that (she) will use to (her) advantage” in this competition. 

From what we’ve seen so far, this cast exceeds fans’ expectations and is setting us up for a solid 18th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race full of glamour, gossip, drama, and talent.