Well hello there fabulous readers, we are back from our DragCon UK adventures.
Technically we have been for a little while but we’ve been having rest and editing some content for ya’ll to enjoy.
Yes, after several days of running around the convention we’ve started to recover and are here to give you the 411 on what went down.
Pop the kettle on babes, it’s tea time!
Don’t leave us hanging, how did it compare to 2020?
So first things first, we didn’t actually attend the 2020 event but we did read a lot about it online and honestly it did sound like a bit of a nightmare, mainly due to the venue not having the capacity to match ticket sales.
Though 2020 will have absolutely been a disappointment for many people (DragCon specifically, let’s not even go there as an overall year), we’re pleased to say that it definitely ended up being a learning experience for the organizers and the same issues weren’t anywhere to be seen at the 2023 event. Moving to the Excel was a fantastic call.
The doors opened on time (though we did sneak in early with our press passes), the booths were all set up and ready to go, everything ran to schedule on the convention floor and nobody was stuck in a queue for multiple hours just to get in. Badge pick up was super smooth, the staff were friendly and all of the booths were exactly where they were meant to be, we’d say that’s a good job!
As a bonus, we really appreciated that the first thing everyone was greeted with on the way in was a very important sign regarding consent.
Okay but wasn’t it like, super expensive for everything?
Look, we can’t sit here and tell you that DragCon is a cheap gig but nobody ever claimed it was and that’s for good reason.
The fact of the matter is that these artists pay to be at the convention and booths ain’t free hunny so they need to make sure they cover their expenses. So yes of course it seems like a lot to pay £25 for a signed photo and a keyring to get your meet and greet, but please take a step back and consider that the artist has covered the cost of their booth, travel, accommodation, merchandise, spending money and the drag they’re getting up at 5am to put on for your enjoyment.
Honestly the more offensive cost was the £2.50 for a can of coca cola, especially since we’re Northern folk and live in the least expensive part of the UK!
A lot of the artists had lower cost meet and greets (£15 or below) and not everyone charged at all, you’ve just got to do a little work to figure out where you want to spend your cash then enjoy some of the free performances and panels in between.
Our advice would be to save a little each month in the run up to the event, watch for your fave artists posting their prices to plan and make sure you’ve got space in your bag…..
(P.s. Be careful with your prints, as you can see, they aren’t too bag friendly, sorry Océane!)
You briefly mentioned Coca Cola, so what was the food/drink situation?
Full honesty, the variety of food within the convention itself was limited to a cute little food truck selling wraps (they did a great bit of halloumi) and a sandwich/snack vibe in the Yaaastonbury VIP area.
Thankfully, there’s a handy side exit that leads straight into the Excel itself where you can find a whole range of different food stalls from Pizza (which was delicious), burritos and burgers to sandwiches and a very well appreciated Costa. A full list can be found here.
If you venture outside of the venue there are other local café, restaurant and shops too.
There are a couple of bars set up for drinks and free water refill stations too so drinks are easier to come by and you could take in a tea/coffee from the vendors just outside.
What about other press and vendors?
There are so many fantastic people at DragCon, it’s effectively a room filled with talented queer folks and allys so you can’t really go wrong.
It’s always nice to take a break from the official drag race booths and televised artists to appreciate the folks who spend all morning throwing on their lashes, heels, make-up, wigs and such so they could showcase themselves in a safe place. If you think you’ve made a famous queen happy by buying their print, imagine how big of a smile you can bring to the face of a potentially undiscovered artist by asking them for a picture and showing them some love on social media? A lot of them will also have cute little business cards or stickers for you too, it’s a cute way to get your name into the world.
You’ve also got some amazing artists and creators bringing you a whole bunch of shopping options from wigs and jewellery to unique art, cute coasters and a 305th pin badge for your collection. They’re usually happy to have a little chat too if you’re curious about their inspiration or creative processes.
Safe to say we came home with quite a few business cards and stickers as picture below, please take a minute to click on everyone’s names below and give them a follow, you may discover a new fave!
Drag: Casta Hex, Donatella Vergatsie, Sharcooterie, Tequila Thirst, Autumn Niamh, Jay Barry Matthews
Costumes/fashion: Lizzie Biscuits, Rcrew
Art/Illustration: Tom Taylor, The Werkroom
Life/postivity: Drag Energy, The Proud Trust
Drag Events: Phwoar
You’re starting to convince us for next year, any highlights?
Our experience was different to many people there as we were blessed with the opportunity to do some press work but with that said, we did have some moments to ourselves throughout the weekend and we’re happy to share.
Booths – There are some super creative and even interactive booths, we’re going to do a follow up article with our faves so keep an eye out
Fashion – Whether it’s the drag artists, their booth assistants, the press or just general people walking around, you’ll see SOOOO much amazing fashion
Performances – Many of the queens took to the stage over the weekend and even though we only caught a few (we were super busy), it’s fun to get a show between queuing, shopping and snapping pics. Also, it does come with an extra cost, but we absolutely couldn’t recommend the after hours shows cos there’s no booths open so everything is focused on the stage. Everyone genuinely performed well but let us tell you, if you ever get the change to see Vanity Milan or the Brat Pack on stage RUN, don’t walk.
The atmosphere – It’s a big LGBTQIA+ event and a safe space. So basically it’s a room full of people who are excited to be together, celebrating drag and queerness with a whole bunch of fun things to do. The room is literally buzzing all weekend!
Oh and this image of us with Le Fil:
Watch this space….
You’ve probably already noticed our socials filling up with snippets of content from the weekend but trust us, there’s SO much to come!
We’ve got a whole bunch of interviews, our pink carpet highlights, plenty of cute pics and maybe even some bloopers……so if you aren’t convinced by DragCon yet, make sure your notifications are turned all the way on.
Catch us on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for fun social content and as always, catch our podcast over on Spotify and all other great podcast apps
RUPAUL’S DRAGCON UK took place at ExCeL London from 6-8 January 2023. Tickets are on sale for RUPAUL’S DRAGCON LA now.
Season 15 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ is currently available exclusively in the UK via the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with new episodes dropping on Saturdays at 2AM GMT. Subscribe at https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/