RuPaul's DragCon NYC

rdf:langString RuPaul's DragCon NYC

rdf:langString RuPaul's DragCon NYC is an annual fan convention and expo of drag culture held in New York City, which debuted in September 2017. 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’”. The NYC event is considered the "world's largest celebration of drag culture" with 100,000 attendees. 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. The first RuPaul's DragCon NYC was held in 2018 at the Javits Center, with over 40,000 attendees at the two-day all-ages event; it “garnered 687 million (online) impressions in 2018.” 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. 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. The discussion panels vary from more obvious topics like clothing, fashion, wigs, and makeup, to history of drag, , trans rights, queer pop culture, and political issues facing the LGBTQ community. WOW's co-director and producer of the convention, Randy Barbato, shared that ironically the panels have significant depth in sophistication, because although drag queens are known for being fun and about their looks, the queens are smart artists and activists. He also said, "For us, drag has always been political!" The main stage presents performances and runway events all day long. There are also over 220 vendors offering drag supplies and accessories; at the 2018 event they sold over $8 million in merchandise. 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.” Kids under ten are let in free when accompanied by an adult. 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.