Gentlemen, start your engines! RuPaul’s Drag Race is back, bolder and brasher than ever, flipping the switch on Season 18 with a “let there be light” glow-up of prismatic proportions.
MTV announced Tuesday that Season 18 of the Emmy-winning juggernaut drops Friday, January 2, at 8:00 PM ET/PT with 90-minute episodes packed to the brim with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
Fourteen fresh queens from across the country are sashaying into the Werk Room and ready to snatch the crown as they compete to take on the title, last won by Onya Nurve of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”
The winner will also receive an official Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup collab and a cash prize of $200,000 courtesy of the popular video game RuPaul’s Drag Race Match Queen.
In the premiere, the dolls dive into the Drag Race vaults for the “Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!” challenge, resurrecting relics from seasons past and spinning them into runway-ready lewks. And if that’s not enough drama, MTV adds that Untucked is back, streaming right after the mainstage madness at 9:30 PM ET/PT, where the queens spill tea and shed tears before one of the bottom queens is forced to sashay away.
Meet The Drag Race Season 18 Queens
This year’s lineup features a mother–daughter duo, a polished pageant powerhouse, and a sexual health nurse who’s ready to put these queens on bed rest–for good.
Athena Dion (Miami, FL) and Juicy Love Dion (Miami, FL) make Drag Race herstory as the first-ever mother/daughter duo to compete together.
Athena is a legendary drag mother with a dynasty spanning Miami and Mykonos, and Juicy is Miami’s Afro-Cuban dancing doll described as “small but ferocious.”
Briar Blush (Boston, MA) is retro yet edgy, goth yet glamorous. Sweet? Maybe. But mess with her, and those thorns will sting. Briar’s here to be remembered, not liked.
Ciara Myst (Indianapolis, IN) is part sci-fi, part horror, all magic. Creature transformations, prosthetic wizardry, and ethereal looks—Ciara is ready to haunt, mesmerize, and slay.
Darlene Mitchell (Los Angeles, CA) is campy country chaos, Peg Bundy hair included. After a five-year hiatus, she’s back to see if the main stage can drag her out of hiding.
DD Fuego (New York, NY) brings high heat, high drama, and zero clichés. Smoke, fire, and runway-ready looks? Check, check, check.
Discord Addams (St. Petersburg, FL) is punk rock personified—safety pins, studs, and chaos included. She’s ready to trade the mosh pit for the runway and serve some serious drag rock realness.
Jane Don’t (Seattle, WA) is comedy with a razor-sharp edge. Inspired by Bette Midler and Joan Rivers, she’s ready to make her mark—and make the other queens sweat.
Kenya Pleaser (Sumter, SC) asks politely: can you please her? Only if you can handle curves, confidence, and auntie energy that hits like a gospel choir.
Mandy Mango (Philadelphia, PA) serves fruity, conceptual looks by night and saves lives as an HIV/sexual health nurse by day. High charisma, high charm, high impact—Mandy’s prescription is simple: werk it!
Mia Starr (West Palm Beach, FL) brings 90s/early 2000s hip-hop vibes with world tour creds and Super Bowl sparkle. After a 14-year break, she’s back to dominate.
Myki Meeks (Orlando, FL) is gorgeously stupid and stupidly gorgeous, blending camp, glamour, and stage presence into a force no queen can ignore.
Nini Coco (Denver, CO) ditched engineering for sequins, proving all-or-nothing energy isn’t just a motto—it’s a lifestyle.
Vita VonTesse Starr (Montgomery, AL) aka Queen V, is a pageant powerhouse who serves opulence, precision, and drama so thick it could smother any sewing challenge.
Will YOU be watching RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18???
