Just May is teaming up with Clapham Grand for the ultimate drag show.
On 16 January (Friday), the Drag Race UK season four alum will be putting on the sickening DRAGSTRAVAGANZA event at the London-based venue.
Described as a “huge celebration of all things drag”, the exciting festivities will kick off with a marketplace from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event will feature an array of sellers, creators, makers, creatives, drag queens, and drag kings selling some of their exclusive merchandise and “showcasing what makes them special.”
Clapham Grand will then be transformed into a larger-than-life drag show, hosted by Drag Race UK and MasterChef winner Ginger Johnson and featuring performances by other Drag Race UK alumni, prominent East London artists, resident queens, and stripping kings.
Some of the star-studded talent include: Tomara Thomas, Black Peppa, Lil, Nyongbella, Victoria Scone, Just May, Miss Leigh Ding, Magic Dyke, Rhys’s Pieces, Ham It Up, The Brummie Bastards, Bitten Peach, LoUis CYfer and Petty Nonsense.
Following DRAGSTRAVAGANZA: The Drag Show, attendees will be treated to an all-out Beyoncé club night, celebrating her expansive music catalogue, ranging from Destiny’s Child days to her latest critically acclaimed album, Cowboy Carter.
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Ahead of the event, May spoke to Gay Times about what people can expect from the festivities.
“Expect to see tables filled with amazing products. Expect to have a great one-on-one experience with some of your favourite drag acts,” she teased.
“Expect to find a new venue, collective, club night that will be your tribe, and then expect to see some absolutely bonkers shows when you stick around for the show. And, of course, something a little spicy from me!”
May also expressed the importance of DRAGSTRAVAGANZA amid the current political climate and rising closures of LGBTQIA+ nightclubs.
“I think drag has become a different kind of political to what it used to be. Before, it was a middle finger to society; now society is throwing it back at us, and it’s our turn to show them why we, as drag performers and queer entertainers, are a legitimate source of entertainment, not something to hide away in bars and clubs in the early hours of the morning,” she explained.
“We are seeing bars and clubs closing, and that’s why spaces like DRAGSTRAVAGANZA are important. But the community needs to support the venues that are still thriving. It’s amazing that spaces like Clapham Grand exist.
“For 125 years, it’s been putting on variety shows and showcasing all kinds of performers, and for the last 10-15 years, it’s had queer performers at the heart! Queer people, especially performers, are resilient, and when one door closes, we always find a toilet window to sneak inthrough around the back.”
For more information on DRAGSTRAVAGANZA, click here.
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