Hold onto your heels and lashes, because RuPaul’s Drag Race is back! Season 18 just RUvealed its lineup, and the queens are officially gearing up to slay when the show returns to MTV on January 2, 2026. This season comes with a fresh tagline I’m already obsessed with: “In shady times, let there be light.” Honestly, the YouTube Meet the Queens livestream is giving Hatch-level, sunset shimmer energy — and I am living for it. As Ru puts it, “They all sparkle, but who will shine the brightest?”
Fourteen fierce new drag queens are stepping into the Werk Room this season, each competing for the coveted title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a $200,000 cash prize. The premiere challenge, titled “Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!” is all about honoring the queens who paved the way. Using treasures from the Drag Race vault, these queens will craft signature looks that pay tribute to their predecessors while showing off their own charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
Whether you’re a longtime fan ready to shout “Shantay, you stay!” or a newcomer just tuning in, Season 18 promises to deliver runway glamour, iconic lip-syncs, and all the drama, shade, and sparkle we’ve come to love. So, here’s a closer look at this season’s queens.
Are you gagged yet? Here’s where to follow each queen on Instagram.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 Cast Instagrams:
Athena Dion
Mama bear to Morphine Love Dion and Plane Jane, this Miami- and Mykonos-based queen radiates legendary goddess energy wherever she goes. Dion is making “Drag Race” herstory this season alongside Juicy Love Dion, becoming part of the first-ever mother/daughter duo to compete together.
Briar Blush
With her iconic jet-black hair, Boston’s pin-up princess is set to show that her razor-sharp wit and thorny charm aren’t about being liked — they’re about being unforgettable.
Ciara Myst
Racing in from Indianapolis, this shapeshifting sensation is ready to fuse fantasy, horror, magic, and sci-fi into a mesmerizing drag experience. As a skilled prosthetic makeup artist with credits spanning Dynasty to Marvel Studios, Myst designs and crafts her own costumes, and is excited to bring creature transformations to the series.
Darlene Mitchell
Hailing from the heartland and now wreaking havoc in LA, Mitchell is the ultimate country-camp queen. She mixes soap opera glamour with a healthy dose of Midwestern trailer-trash flair, complete with her iconic Peg Bundy hair.
DD Fuego
Born in Mexico and now burning up New York, Fuego is a former TV and off-Broadway production designer ready to unleash a fiery, feisty, full-throttle show that will set the main stage ablaze — literally, metaphorically… probably both.
Discord Addams
Known for playing guitar in a punk rock band, this high-fashion punk rock maximalist can’t wait to bring chaos and dark, raw energy to the stage. Expect bold, rebellious looks bristling with studs, safety pins, and attitude from this Florida queen.
Jane Don’t
This Seattle-based comedy queen, whose drag sisters include Bosco and Irene the Alien, is thrilled to deliver some shady humor with shoulder pads to match.
Juicy Love Dion
From the legendary Dion Dynasty, this Miami queen carries the legacy of her drag lineage with pride. She is the drag daughter of Morphine Love Dion and the drag granddaughter of fellow queen Athena Dion — showing that in the Dion family, charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent run deep. Known as “Miami’s Afro-Cuban dancing doll,” Juicy electrifies every stage with her vibrant energy.
Kenya Pleaser
This South Carolina Southern showstopper serves heart, humor, and unstoppable energy. A celebrated Lizzo impersonator, she brings curves, confidence, and an unapologetic auntie attitude to every stage. Can you handle it?
Mandy Mango
Is there another fruit queen in the house? Someone call Nymphia Wind, because the Werk Room might need more mangos and fewer bananas! As Philly’s own fruity icon, Mango’s looks are packed with playful creativity. By day, she’s a devoted nurse focusing on HIV and sexual health, championing care for the LGBTQ+ community. By night, she lights up the stage with fruity energy.
Mia Starr
Based in West Palm Beach, Starr is a 90s/early 2000s hip-hop powerhouse, ready to light up the stage with her signature urban style. A seasoned performer, she has toured the world as a backup dancer for icons like Rihanna and Britney Spears, and even stole the spotlight at the Super Bowl alongside Jennifer Lopez.
Myki Meeks
“Gorgeously stupid, and stupidly gorgeous.” That pretty much says it all about this former Orlando theatre kid turned drag queen. And I’m here for her outrageous, campy style.
Nini Coco
Hailing from Colorado, Coco is a masterful costume designer who left behind a career as a mechanical engineer. She’s here to prove that swapping schematics for sequins can be the ultimate act of fearless reinvention.
Vita VonTesse Starr
“Queen V” is here from Alabama. A proud member of the renowned Starr drag family, this pageant queen is a multi-titleholder ready to bring her signature elegance and unmatched excellence to the Werk Room. She’s the embodiment of opulence—“you own everything.”
With fourteen dazzling queens bringing charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, they’re ready to sparkle, shine bright, and claim their place in Drag Race history, lighting up the stage when the new season kicks off early in the New Year.