The Truth About RuPaul's DragCon: Is It Worth It?

I recently went to DragCon UK in London, and a lot of my subscribers wanted to hear about my experience.
In the video I'll be talking about how DragCon works, how much it costs and whether it's actually worth it or not. I also answer my subscriber questions and gave my advice about how to make the most of DragCon.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - How DragCon works
02:40 - Days and ticket prices
03:49 - Which day to go
05:25 - Cost of DragCon
06:27 - Lines and waiting times at DragCon
07:00 - Meet and greet
08:07 - Who I met at DragCon
09:28 - Important rules at DragCon
10:03 - Set-up of the venue
12:28 - Payment methods
13:08 - Food and drink options
14:33 - What it's like for queens at DragCon
16:25 - Backstage tea
19:53 - Is DragCon worth it?
***
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Sources:
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#DragCon #RuPaulsDragRace #RPDR

[@DragTeaServed]

Have you been to DragCon? And did you think it was worth it?

[@jurilmoone]

I was LA Drag Con 2016. Back then it was second year of Drag Con and it was much tinier event. There werent that much of queens there and the whole venue was rather small. But it was nice little holiday I had.

[@deborahcane8514]

I bought vip for Saturday, got in at 9am and hardly any queens were there. None of the winners! They turned up at lunch, so the extra hour was a huge waste of time. I was so disappointed

[@drelevatorlestrange]

My grandkids and one son went to la on my dime a few years ago, they got a pic with rupaul after about 5 hours in line

[@tcwiner]

OMG! You were there on Friday also? Such a shame I didn't see you. Would have LOVED to meet you! :( Got to meet Anita Wiglit, Scarlet Bobo and Jimbo

[@craighobson9329]

Thank you for this vlog and summary. I've always wanted to go but I'm a fan of soooo many queen's how would I choose as I'd have a budget I'd almost certainly wish to stick to and I find the entry fee extortionate tbh

[@inshort6831]

As an event organizer i cannot imagine not creating dressing rooms for drag con 😵

[@Dan_Letters]

Ya that I agree. Excel is a big enough venue and they didn't even use half the space that events like comic con do so I'm sure they could do better on that

[@Lunariant]

This was really illuminating. DragCon sounds like a lot of fun but damn it's expensive too, especially for the queens themselves. I hope all the queens manage to turn a profit. I can imagine some of the less famous queens must be sitting there feeling a bit anxious about earning their money back.

[@amelieee341]

This was my first ever drag con and i absolutely LOVED it, yes it was very expensive but 100% worth it for me as I got to meet so many of my favorites! Some queens were doing free meet and greets too, I met Oceane Aqua Black for free (she was lovely) and I've heard that Maddy Morphosis and a few others weren't charging either

[@DiamondPearl]

The cheapest booth was £1800 for a small business, that is just the booth and a chair, before vat.. larger businesses were charged about £1000 more than that, whereas an "artists table" was £700... compare this to DragCon LA in May where a booth is $1300... RuGirls get a discount on booths...

[@sweetiedahling8137]

Omg and I complain when I have to pay C$100 for a booth at a craft market... I know it's not really comparable but I wish more people knew how expensive it was for the people making the show/market. Thank you for sharing these numbers.

[@paddycraig]

Hi, is this booth price for the entire event or just for a day?

[@DiamondPearl]

@@paddycraig Hey, the price is for the entire weekend, so 3 days..

[@DiamondPearl]

@@ThatFruityGuy I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to, but in the many years I've been attending DragCon, Willam has not been there, and I don't think he'd ever pay to have a booth there... lol!

[@DiamondPearl]

@@ThatFruityGuy apologies, I meant the UK Drag Con, met Willam in the toilets (naturally) at DragCon LA many years ago so I know she's been doing that one for sure! Lol!

[@VAMPYRICBASSIST]

Omg!!! I always comment on this but Matt is so cute and handsome!!! His smile is like the sun that radiates warmth and happiness to the universe!🤩🥰💖🔥

[@valleyval7]

I went to Drag Con LA for the first time last year on a Sunday. It was not crowded and it was so nice seeing the performances but the best part was the panels, like mini conferences where we got to see different queens up close and ask questions, those were held in separate rooms away from the conference. Also, the house of love hosted a panel where they had mini reunions also in separate rooms. I probably enjoyed that the most.

[@DirectionerHarry12]

they changed the setup for 2023 LA. Bring Back My Girls was the only panel & filmed in the main room. All the performances were on the main stage and the convention was only in one room.

[@zeroranger7200]

I went to Dragcon UK just for the Saturday; for the cost of the saturday day ticket + train tickets to London + food/drink + meeting two queens and buying afew bits of Merch, i spent about £300. It was a really good day and i got great photos, but the wait times to meet certain queens were insane. I only managed to see two out of the four i wanted to see on the day :/

[@jaykknight2248]

I'll also say about Sunday--- yes they may have discounts, but they might also be sold out of certain items. I worked for someone's booth this past year and you might be surprised how quickly certain things might sell out!!!

[@timpayne1983]

So pleased to see you and your channel getting recognition...your sunny optimism is really refreshing! ☺

[@DragTeaServed]

Thank you so much!

[@psnLoneWulf14]

10:35 when you mentioned booths for trade my mind went somewhere completely different. I would've spent my time there if that was the case 😂

[@Rai_S82]

🤣🤣🤣

[@erikaalmeidavega78]

😂🤣😂🤣 x

[@CUDDLEYJO420]

Halfway through and loving the vid. Gentle Feedback - could have spent a few more seconds showing the photo collage of your meet and greets :) they went by a tiny bit quick for slow old me :)

[@annabellelecter4456]

Note from my experience for the weekend was that the last day for VIP there were very few Queens at their booths with some only turning up at 12 midday and some of them closed down their booths early on the Sunday too - with all Queens being left a note about closing down their booths by 5pm For the Friday a lot of Queens just went straight to the Queens Walk rather than their booths so take it as an opportunity to maybe see some Queens that aren't from the show or aren't on the Queens Walk (We waited for Michelle) It's a really expensive and tiring weekend but if you're a fan of the show then absolutely do DragCon at least once!

[@jessica.lugo.]

My experience at Dragcon (NYC, 2018 or so) was that it felt like it was really poorly planned. Because of the length of the lines and the poor line management, it was impossible to get close enough to see the merchandise or the minimum spend until after already spending time in lines. I would have been happy to buy merch and keep going, but there was no way to do that without getting shoveled around into long waits. It's a vendor hall without any real rules about what happens where. That means that nobody's using the same system, everything is a little anarchic, and regular folks just spend the day sitting in lines getting elbowed. DragCon has con on before my experience and it's gone on after my experience, so maybe that's what people like. It seemed like a weird garage sale package to me, though, with very little else to do aside from standing in line waiting for a drag queen to say hello. Maybe it's fun for a group? But as an event, I can't understand what people are finding to do for three days at one of these things.

[@jonlee4296]

I just got back from London today. I had the best time at DragConUK. I dressed up for all the actiivities I attended (5 outfits total). One of my favorite things was just parading up and down the aisles. Met a lot of fun people just walking around.. Also the venders were great. I purchased several things, but also got to meet a lot of great vendors! The cost is high, especially if you are travelling and need a place to stay. I paid a lot to get there, but I also had been saving up so I could attend. Do it at least once. I think you'll find you want to go back again, next time.

[@sabrinah115]

I did DragCon in LA last May. Friday was the best day to go. The more popular the Queen, the more you pay for a meet and greet. Willow Pill was the most expensive at $60 minimum which went down to $35 by Sunday. But most were $20-30. I’m going again this year but FYI Los Angeles DragCon is only two days this year. Friday and Saturday. No Sunday due to Mothers Day in the US.

[@seanhead23]

I paid for my wife and I to attend on the Friday, with the VIP tickets you mentioned; most queens were £20 to £30 for meet and greet and NOT £10 to £20 as you state. Every single line we got to, the booth stated that one line was for purchasing merchandise and the other line was to queue for the meet and greet, meaning there was no VIP lane enforced throughout the Excel. I specifically bought the VIP tickets to reduce the waiting time for my wife who has long covid and cannot stand for very long periods. So our summary is that it was very disappointing, most people there were great but the organisation was hugely lacking and we have sent off numerous emails due to the pointlessness of calling it a VIP ticket as it did nothing. Except that one hour, but meh.

[@skarabowie6974]

I only had the regular weekend ticket but feel sorry for those who paid the £300 for the VIP. Really all the VIP got you was an hour of early access when some of the queen's weren't even at their booth and access to a private bathroom, but there were plenty other bathrooms available anyway.

[@TakeaSipBabes]

I think it was only vip line for the most known queens like Jaida, Trinity etc where people would really be nonstop; they had vip lines. But I agree, there shouldve been vip lines for some other queens as well like Silky and Rajah which were always busy.

[@seanhead23]

@@TakeaSipBabes Okay first of all, no. It said ALL queens would have vip queues. Second, don’t say Silky didn’t have a vip line when the person literally popped a photo of Silky’s stand up while they were talking about vip lines.

[@queerulantin6431]

Oh no! :(

[@TakeaSipBabes]

@@seanhead23 yeah, i know all of them should’ve had vip lines, i was just saying that only the most known queens had them. As for Silky’s line, you are correct, I must’ve thought of someone else from Canada vs the World. Also, sorry for what happen to your wife, it must’ve been horrible to buy vip for nothing :( .

[@jifij89]

the answer is yes, it is wayyy too expensive 😂 deffo not for most working class and poor drag fans which sucks cause it’s probs the vast majority of fans!

[@brockreynolds870]

Honey, I've never paid just to meet a drag queen. I mean, I saw Rupaul perform in a BAR in 1988, so to me, drag queens are not stars. They are entertainers. But not stars. The people whose records they lip synch to are STARS. And I've luckily got to meet and have pictures taken with a few of them (actual stars). They were wonderful, and it didn't cost extra.

[@dante6985]

@@brockreynolds870 This. Sounds kinda harsh but very true. Especially how liberally Ru uses the word "star" on the show, and how liberally fans use the words "Legend" and "Icon". These aren't icons. That word has been diluted. Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Beyonce: those are icons. Drag queens from drag race are make-up artists, lip synch entertainers and reality tv personalities. Even the most successful queens like Bianca Del Rio (who is a talented comic)'s biggest claim to fame is drag race and a couple of bad movies.

[@brockreynolds870]

@@dante6985 I would say that Bianca has crossed over into "Star" territory, but she's the only one (Bianca plays many of the same venues that Joan rivers did). The only other drag queen in that category was Divine. Ru does tend to exaggerate, especailly when it comes to herself. So many of the young fans don't realize that Michelle Visage has sold far more records than Rupaul has. Rupaul has never even broken into the top 40 of the billboard hot 100 charts. Even with her biggest hit, "Supermodel (You Better WorK)" While Michelle has had FIVE top 40 hits.

[@dante6985]

@@brockreynolds870 Hey definitely appreciate the comment and your thoughts. With Bianca Del Rio I'm on the fence. This is how I define a star: "A person who is very famous - a household name - in the world of entertainment from their artistic, creative, or athletic output (showbusiness, music, or from sports.)" That definition of course excludes people like Kim Kardashian, because, you know, well-known sure, much talent or skill there? When an e.g. singer becomes a "star" is when you'd expect some random person on the street to know them (or at least know of them). Bianca's career is still heavily rooted in drag race (hosts the Pit Stop, tours with the girls regularly). She's worked some of the same venues as Joan Rivers and definitely has the raw talent, but she's not Joan Rivers (who had decades of the Tonight Show, her own show, ET adventures, all that stuff on top of touring.) It's kind of like, if we open the door for BDR, why not include Trixie Mattel? (Who had a #1 album on the Heatseekers chart, as far as I know, Ru never had a #1 album...), and a tv show on VICE. Or Jinkx Monsoon who just debuted on Broadway as Mama Morton in Chicago? I hope Bianca explodes! I think she has the potential to. I don't know, if she had like a drag equivalent of Chappelle's Show? But she's still niche at the moment (i.e. I wouldn't expect people outside the LGBT community / drag race fans to know of her.) But drag is kind of rooted in mimicry, satire, and irony so it kind of makes sense that it stays the LGBT community's fun niche corner of entertainment.

[@brockreynolds870]

@@dante6985 Cool. I appreciate that. I suppose I have different degrees of stardom. I still consider Bianca a star, not necessarily a BIG one. For me, if you are famous enough to tour the country in venues, and not bars,,, then that makes you a star. Jinkx could be on her way... we will see. I think Trixie has the talent to be, but to be honest, I think he has much more talent singing as Brian, than being Trixie. I still consider music people stars who haven't had hit records in years or decades. I don't feel you "lose" your status just because the fickle public doesn't have you on the front burner anymore.

[@ashleymoore6665]

If I ever get the privilege of attending this fantastic con you best believe I’m going to spend as much money as possible so I can meet them! I have been watching the show since season 1 and I would love to meet these incredible, talented and beautiful Queens and you best believe I will bow to each and everyone of them for making my life even better! ❤

[@crolinanman3833]

The longest line we experienced was I think Dayas line. We waited over one and a half hours. So yeah some of the queens had LONG or at least slow moving lines. (They were lovely)

[@mintybadger6905]

Wow, I was just wondering how expensive Drag Con gets after watching Juno Birch’s videos. It looks like SO much fun but pricey.

[@ingGS]

I agree, but compared to meeting them at a bar is not that different in price.

[@gdmsw2]

Thanks for a great vid Matt. Really interesting to see what goes on and some insight into the experience! 👏🏼❤️👏🏼

[@uxuechristmas]

So lovely to see you! You speak really well in camera! It's like watching your narrated videos :)

[@dina14789]

What a lovely video, sharing your experiences and all, hope you had a great time! Love to see your face too, feels more personal

[@suzywalker3971]

Thank you for the explanation of how dragcon works. I really would like to go next year.

[@ThiqFitnessStudio]

This is soooo helpful! I’m going to DragCon in LA this year! I am sooooo excited!

[@wayne2k33]

Great info! I'm hoping to get to one of the US DragCons this year. I do hope they continue to improve the setup, but it looks exciting and a great way to support all of these incredible queens.

[@MLGBGermany]

Loved the video, the format of it, you are so eloquent I could listen to you for hours! 😊 thanks a lot! I'll try to attend next UK Drag Con, I couldn't go to this one but after having watched your video, I feel like I must go! I love DragRace, I can't wait to meet some Queens and, yeah, I hope I'll be able to meet you and other subscribers 😇

[@bethangel6859]

He's such a clear and articulate speaker, he should work in tv.

[@MLGBGermany]

Clear, articulate, professional, entertaining. He’s the full package 😊

[@rainyfox2]

Are you going? 🙃

[@victoriakahl3777]

I do think it’s worth it, I had a great weekend and met some of my faves. I need to talk about VIP though. In my experience VIP is NOT worth it. Cheddar’s booth had no VIP line and no one running the queue. Lawrence’s line was a shambles, very badly managed, and I waited 90 mins in the so called VIP line. The VIP only area does not have enough seating, awful overpriced lacklustre food offerings, and was freezing cold. Anyone thinking of upgrading next time, don’t bother! I reckon the way to approach it is general admission and just prioritise your faves and expect to stand for quite a while.

[@bethangel6859]

Really interesting Matt, thanks for this.

[@DrJake]

This is such a great video. Wish I’d had the funds to go meet up with you all there! It looked like a fun event and would have loved experience it!

[@markminaj7005]

Ohhh thank you matt ♥️ so ill travel from germany to London to see 2024 the queens 🥰😍

[@vladneamtu01]

You’re so nice, thank you for your videos! 🤗

[@quinn1222]

thank you for the captions!

[@donalddavis9855]

I have to say your videos are amazing. You have such a great speaking voice, love the accent!😊

[@AmandaC.]

I dream of going to drag con, I’d love to meet all the queens but I also know I’d be crying everytime I did meet a queen 😂😂 I love all the photos you posted of the queens you met and Im happy you got to meet a bunch you had already interviewed 💖

[@AlxAustinnn]

I guess I'll have to start saving up for next year as I really want to go just for the experience. Fingers crossed Sasha Colby attends! Thanks for doing this video as I've always been in two minds about going

[@melissas7980]

New subscriber here! I'm actually new to Drag Race! I've binged 14 seasons (U.S.) in the last couple months and am current with season 15. It's so hard to have to wait for one episode per week, so I came to KZbin (which NEVER disappoints!) and found YOUR CHANNEL. I have been binge-ing your content for two days, and I love it! I love YOU....your smile, your attitude, your way of speaking and explaining things so clearly, without judgment....how you encourage positivity and discourage negativity! Thank you, so much, for doing what you do! You have definitely enhanced my Drag Race experience! Much love from Texas, U.S.! 🙂xo

[@democratresistance7847]

Great video Matt!!!!

[@ClintonWayne]

Sibling Rivalry did a podcast about DragCon. DEFINITELY worth a listen. Thanks Matt, I am a regular listener and enjoy your channel.

[@Manchester1990]

"so I had to sit on the floor and eat my burger" awwww ❤ you're so cute

[@UchihaAisha]

Nice to see you!❤

[@JoaoV9th]

gosh i love your youtube content 😩😘

[@casey4221]

you seem like such a kind person!

[@StrawberryTofu]

Price breakdown for my weekend for 2 people - Weekend general entry ticket = £90 each Return travel from Wales to London by coach = £60 Taxis = £40 Ibis hotel for 2 nights = £225 Food ( 3 meals a day. Cheaper to eat breakfast at Costa than hotel) = £170 Merch from 2 well known queens = £50 Artists alley + general merch = £40 Total for 2 people = £765 So around £ 382 each Worth noting that this specific weekend was WAYYYY more expensive than a normal weekend at excel was for 2 reasons. 1. It was still the Christmas school holidays so hotels were much pricier. We paid to stay in the cheapest hotel in the area for 2 nights, the same amount I had paid to stay 4 nights at a nicer hotel in the same area in July last year. And 2. Normally I would use the tube to get to the excel centre and the hotels there from central London where your train/coach would get in to... But the tubes and trains were striking that day so the only options were coach then taxi or to drive in. Hope this helps anybody who needs to budget for next year's! We had a lot of fun and altough pricey, was worth the experience 💚

[@janehopke878]

I appreciate it, since I'm considering going to DragCon UK either next year or in 2025. Yes, DragCon LA would be closer (I live in the Seattle area), but I've been wanting to explore the UK, since I didn't get to do much of that when I was living in Europe as a teenager.

[@royalstudies7367]

Hi Anetra. So glad you won the talent show.

[@Dan_Letters]

Ooooh it's worth noting as well that some drag queens and performers come to Drag Con from across the UK and overseas just to be part of the experience as well so you can also meet some lovely people.

[@itsjustlucarifc]

You have to have one of my favorite smiles of all time! 😁💗 Really enjoyed this video! Any word if you will also be going DragCon US?

[@DragTeaServed]

I’d love to but it’s such a long way and expensive. So I doubt it. But who knows 😆

[@kristenjoanne8274]

Thank you for sharing!! I’m all for supporting our queens but that’s a lot of money! I was hoping if you just bought a tshirt from a queen you could take a photo with them….

[@DragTeaServed]

You can. Usually the t-shirts were the most expensive item and meet the minimum spend. Some queens have very low min spends or none at all. Or a meet and greet with any purchase regardless of the amount. 😊

[@skarabowie6974]

Most queens I saw were £20-£25 pounds minimum spend, Michelle Visage was £40. At most booths that were selling T-shirts they were around £25 each anyway so I guess after just a T-shirt you could meet the queen for a photo.

[@ZoraTheberge]

I went to the first DragCon in LA and then a later one. The first one felt very low key. (I think I paid $15 for my ticket) I met a lot of great queens for free because the “minimum purchase” stuff hadn’t been established yet and on the whole, they were kinda just roaming. It was interesting to then return a few years later and see how it had evolved. Only the more popular queens were really stuck in their booths, had long waits, and required a purchase to meet them. I remember there was sort of mutterings about charging for a meet n greet. The best thing for me, were the panels. They were all held in separate rooms and it really was just people who lived in LA, were tangential to gay culture just hanging out answering audience questions. It was great for me when it was cheap and I was still in High School and not yet going to bars for real drag shows. I probably wouldn’t go now. I am a drag queen and I see Ru girls all the time. If I want their t shirt, I’ll just buy it online.

[@R3BXCCA]

I wish I knew about when drag con was earlier as I would of 1000% went!! Sadly found out on the Sunday, but there’s always next year~

[@nathanielsiri]

I never comment, but it’s great to see your bright happy face. 🌞

[@mandananely6860]

I know you said you didn't take as MANY pics and videos as you would've liked but you should make another video with all of what you did manage to take as well as just describing your whole trip there and telling us about all the QUEENS you interacted with b and watched as well as any funny moments/the best moments you had there or witnessed 💙

[@knockshinnoch1950]

Thanks for this really informative video- you do a great job of explaining the Drag Con experience and what fans can expect. It certainly sounds like it can be a very expensive experience!!!! If I'm being honest it from some of the photos it does look a bit sparse and possibly a bit overpriced. Are there concessions for kids, students, unemployed and pensioners? How much time did you spend at the event? Thanks for all your terrific content- your enthusiasm and love for the show and the Queens is evident in all you do.

[@erinzys]

great video thanks! .

[@RobinPochita]

Omg Charity in an exorcist look. ICONIC affff

[@bethangel6859]

She's got the look on her INsta if you want a more detailed view.

[@BenSwagnerd]

Okay your dimple on your cheek is incredible!!!

[@amylou22snowhite]

You never know who you’ll meet where. My bestie zipped up Kennedy Davenport in the ladies room at US con, lol.

[@bittiesfordays]

MATT I neeeeed to know your skincare routine! Holy crap you look flawless!

[@DragTeaServed]

Lots of water, yoga and green smoothies. Or, if you want the truth… just sit far enough away from the camera 😆

[@tomberrisford850]

I went it was incredible I met Jasmine Beth and bagger as well love your videos hopefully dragcon will come back in 2024

[@joeychen7306]

Hi Matt, first of all, just want to say thank you for a video done with so much heart. However, I do have to point out that some of the questions/information has been blocked by the closed captions as they appear. I would also suggest having those questions pop up before/as you talk about them instead of towards the end. Just my personal preference, but do keep up with the good job~ ^^

[@DragTeaServed]

Thanks for the feedback

[@jacoblucas7292]

So dead at Jinx out of drag on the pink carpet lmao

[@lisamac1986]

The airline lost her luggage so she had no drag stuff

[@dawidjan1993]

It's good to see you grow. Next, you can work on planned speech vs unplanned speech.

[@sweetiedahling8137]

It's probably just my dirty mind but "Booths for Trade" made me think of anything but jewellery.

[@heavenli444]

i’m going to dragcon in la this year and i got the vip and after hours ( which i lowkey regret getting) so i hope i have fun and actually meet queens bc wow i spent so much money LMAO

[@milanvanzachten8676]

I waited really an hour for Ella vaday. After that I watched where the line was the shortest. It’s was a great day.

[@CharlieDavid-Lloyd]

Great vid Matt! I was really hoping to be able to get to Drag Con but scheduling didnt work. I saw Lawrence Chaney at Comic Con which was cool. My New Year’s resolution: attend more cons + quadruple income to attend the cons 😂

[@DragTeaServed]

It was very fun. Let’s hope you can go in future 😊

[@lancedance2239]

I love that you are showing that handsome face and beautiful smile now 💕

[@TakeaSipBabes]

This was my first dragcon and i’d say overall it has been a really nice experience, but I agree, it costs a looot if you are not from london. I’d say I spent close to 1000£ with accommodation and plane tickets, but it was worth it cus these queens are working so hard to bring you a certain experience. The only thing I did not like was queens forcing you to buy certain merch in order to meet them( I’m looking at you Valentina lol); like I get to have a minimum for meet and greet, but at least let me choose what I want to buy.

[@paddycraig]

What did she make you buy that you didn't want? Like a certain Tshirt or pattern? Or an object

[@TakeaSipBabes]

@@paddycraig i think she only had prints as far i remember and it was a specific print that you had to buy and i wanted other one.

[@tanyapearson7421]

I adore Kaos!!

[@skarabowie6974]

Their performance was great!

[@Lilmonkeyy1]

OMG I died when I saw my comment 😭 thanks for letting me know!

[@rwb3562]

I went to the Friday and thought the VIP pass was worth it, I went to the queen's booths I wanted to see bought my merch then I got tickets so when the queen's were back after the queen's pink carpet walk I got to go straight to the queue for VIPS. I loved meeting Trinity, jimbo and got to see Jinx for free 👍 You also get to see most of the queen's walking around so that's fun Also Friday Ru Paul does the ribbon cutting 👍 It was 30 pounds for Trinity and Jimbo, I didn't see any for as low as 15!!! We also stayed at a hotel near by and a couple of queens were staying there so they were always outside having smokes I would of said hi matt if I'd seen you!

[@RazzleDazzle817]

Black Peppa was 15 and Maddy was free. Surprised trinity was only 30, her line was so long I didn’t bother. Was Michelle the most expensive at £40?

[@rwb3562]

@@RazzleDazzle817 they were going to make my fiance 30 pounds to come in with me to see trinity, but when I told her my fiance had bought a cameo from her to help him propose to me she said " go get him! We need a picture with both of you!" which was SO kind of her.

[@rwb3562]

And I didn't hear of anyone more than 40, wow!

[@DaveLara]

Thanks!

[@DragTeaServed]

Thank you for the super like Dave! 😊 much appreciated

[@vitalrat7196]

I’m just generally curious about this, but if the con is produced by the show why do the queens have to pay for their booths? Especially since some Queens are contractually obligated? It seems like travel, accommodation and their booths should at least be covered. I wouldn’t mind the paying aspect whether they had to pay for themselves or not, because this is three days of work for each performer plus travel time. There must be a reason but I’m not seeing it, apologies!

[@mutantsupremacies]

Thanks for the video, Matt. I was wondering how accessible the venue was? Was there anyone there using a wheelchair or walker?

[@DragTeaServed]

There were definitely people using wheelchairs and walkers. But I can’t speak to how accessible it is in general I’m afraid as I don’t know.

[@skarabowie6974]

I am not someone who has any particular accessibility needs however I will say access to the building is surrounded by ramps and stairs with plenty hand rails. Once in the building it's all on one level except the cloakroom and some extra bathrooms on a lower floor There was a separate viewing platform for those with accessibility needs so they can sit down and see over the crowd to watch performances. Walking spaces were very wide and never really too crowded except next to the stage and the audible booth(where they hosted the drag panels) so moving around the venue with a walker/wheelchair/mobility scooter appeared to not be an issue. Overall It appeared to be fairly accessible, the only flaw would be that the only seating available was on the accessible viewing platform or outside the convention in the food areas. Also this is just my opinion as someone who was there looking at the facilities available rather than someone who was actually using them, so it might be the case there were some issues not evident until you needed specific support

[@mutantsupremacies]

@@DragTeaServed thank you, I appreciate it :))

[@mutantsupremacies]

@@skarabowie6974I really appreciate this comment!! Thanks a ton

[@lisamac1986]

@@mutantsupremacies my friend is in a wheelchair and went this year it's all flat and ramped with disabled toilets the only problem she found is ignorant people in the crowds cutting her off or stepping in front of her but we get that everywhere anyway

[@larahedge8960]

You have such a beautiful smile 🙂

[@paulmichaeljelley540]

such a nice guy!!

[@DragTeaServed]

Thank you!

[@Dan_Letters]

Not sure why I didn't watch or comment on this around the time as I got to go the first day as well but was a good time for the most part. I would agree the cost is the main thing and VIP tickets I don't think I got the value for what I paid which they were almost double the cost of the standard tickets. Things I think could have been improved were the area for the panel discussion I feel coukd have been bigger, they had the space for it. Queens were left to sort their own VIP lines for their booths so some didn't have a VIP line. I think event organisers could help more with that. There was a little VIP seated area toward the back I think it was in the corner if I remember. Was a bit pants tbh but it did have seating. Was still a great time though and I met some lovely queens, some I didn't initially plan on seeing but glad I did 😊

[@thatsthat2612]

Aww you met Anita? Anita just seems like the nicest person ever

[@DragTeaServed]

Yeah she was lovely 🥰

[@alanahorner8012]

To me personally Drag Con is worth it if my favorite queens are there or at least two of them. Watching them online or on Drag Race was very fun and inspiring so it’s time to give back in a way❤️

[@callumwilson1334]

It was me and My man's first time and it was Amazing

[@deanyaschempp]

Typing while I let these long-ass ads play. I also feel that I have to spend money to support the queens I go to see, considering they have to go on their own dimes too. It's terrible to spend my last money on tickets, then not actually be able to give any money to the queens themselves for their pictures, autographs, merch, etc. It's like deciding to order pizza or not, based on whether you have enough to tip the driver. But if I don't, I don't. The biggest backstage T for me is that Willow Pill was at Roscoe's instead of Drag Con. Wonder how she pulled that one off?

[@camogrrl]

We don’t tip in our country as they actually get paid for doing their job. Can’t imagine going hungry or missing out becuse you can Afford your meal, but can’t afford to pay them the wage their boss won’t cover. What kind of messed up system is this? The richest people in this triangle are the bosses so why do customers pay their staff for them? It’s rediculous and you should vote to have that law changed. Oh right, Americans don’t get to choose their laws as democracy isn’t actually working over there.

[@nobrainerneeded4229]

So RuPaul makes millions out of all the RPDR series and spin offs and still makes queens to pay for DragCon even though let’s be honest RPDR would be nothing without the participating queens. The greed is real on this one.

[@surrealistgirlx]

I thought the exact same thing. Ru & WOW are making money off these queens, insisting they attend & making them pay for everything. Greedy much?

[@twelvezeros]

And vice versa, they would be nothing without drag race

[@shawnbay2211]

@@twelvezeros Y’know drag race is the platform and not some entity we have to give back to, right? Drag Race is popular because of the sum of its parts, but it’s nothing without them.

[@shawnbay2211]

It feels like the people who platform drag don’t really care about the people who do it. It sounds like the product of dystopia. Hmm.

[@AuroraJanee]

While i understand what you’re saying, it’s not free for rupaul/drag race to put all of this together. It’s unfortunate but it’s free for no one 🤷🏼‍♀️ just shitty all around IMO

[@nikyboyable]

That's a fair deal to support them if you want to meet them

[@helenasorrows4863]

On average I think the Queen cost was more like 20-25 since some were cheaper and some more expensive. Weekend standard passes were just under £100 including booking fee. There seemed little point in VIP since booths changed to being merch line and meeting line instead of standard and vip. Very poor disabled access and support. No seating and only 40 people allowed on the access platform

[@lizking833]

Is it recommended you tip artists on the main stage? I guess this is more of question for drag con in America. Anyone know from LA or NYC drag cons?

[@lukethomas658]

Don't get me wrong, I love drag attitude, but it's refreshing to hear someone talking about it calmly without using "b***ch" like a comma.

[@alyssamann5461]

It sounds like a bit of a nightmare for the Queens 🫤

[@FloraWest]

@@gothorama I feel like most queens talk about it that way to some extent. Trixie is in a position to be a bit more free with her words, probably. Sounds like a real slog overall.

[@TheLadyCrankypants]

This has always been my thought! If you watched the Roscoe's viewing party for S15E1 Denali expresses clearly that she's happy to be at Roscoe's and not stressing herself to death at Drag Con UK 🫢

[@melaaaaaaa103]

Tbh it’s way too expensive , been to LA and the Uk one , LA was $50 roller entrance fee and UK was £60 , due to a lot of the queens being like 20 to 40 to meet (in LA queens like raja Gemini and Manila were $50 to $75) I would say lower the entrance fee a little bit. Unfortunately Il still go as it’s the only way to meet someone of my hero’s lol x

[@vulnicura7839]

i knew it would be expensive so i think I'll save and go to the one in LA instead, majority of the queens that i truly adore weren't going to be at dragcon uk and i couldn’t justify all that money just to meet valentina lmaooo

[@latiosfreak2000]

i would kill to be at drag con if they ever hold it in the netherlands (guess holland 2 killed that😅) but im glad i got werq the world tickets lol

[@inshort6831]

The bus to London from NL is pretty cheap I'm thinking about going next year

[@roibigdawg4606]

The con-trov-ocy this may cause lol 😍😘

[@drelevatorlestrange]

I wanted to go soooo bad but there is no way I live in Hawaii for gods sake 🤣😅😅

[@bachumiah119]

Matt who’s line was the longest and most costliest ?

[@bachumiah119]

@@pobstrel was Alaska or aquaria there?

[@LeahDanielleeTTV]

RuPaul’s dj set on Friday was… disappointing 😂

[@seanhead23]

R Kelly was the lowlight...

[@skarabowie6974]

The best part was the people dancing on the stage... I didn't care for the music much 🤣

[@edwinbetancourt7301]

It’s interesting because when it first came to NYC a few years ago it phased the NYC LGBTQ Expo (an AMAZING expo for LGBTQ business owners, actors, artists etc) out. The environment at DragCon was toxic ESPECIALLY from the attendants. But from what I saw at the venue’s schedule for this year, I didn’t see Drag Con listed. So I assumed their trial run in NYC was a miss.

[@quitekate]

I was gifted tickets for Sunday Dragcon and was somewhat surprised to find that my husband had to buy our 10 year old a FULL PRICE TICKET to attend as well - anyone over 8 is an adult apparently, and no discounts. Pretty shocking for an event they were at pains to describe as family friendly. But it was a good day. We only did M&G with two guests, so our spending was restrained, but the main stage shows were fab! Sunday really was back to back queens on stage, but it would have been good for them to publish schedules earlier. Especially with so much inconsistency of what was on offer each day...

[@euronny2555]

It sounds like a lot of fun. Is there any age diversity among the public? When I've seen videos and pictures from the former events it seems like it is hardly anyone over 30 😀

[@jifij89]

most drag shows featuring drag race alum is usually young people tbh, both trixie and katya shows i’ve been to i was among the oldest people there and i’m 25 😂

[@amelieee341]

When i went there was a suprising amount of older people, i went with my mum who is 50 and she loved it 😅

[@rwb3562]

Yes lots of age diversity 👍

[@RazzleDazzle817]

I’m over 30 and brought my 3 year old lol there was a kids section that had queens reading stories and tables and chairs for coloring. There were several families and older people as well.

[@jeanalzaidi908]

I've been a huge drag fan most of my life & I'm older my dream is to go to dragcon,my issue is I would have to fly out to the venue& pay hotel fees& then pay for the event,I really don't have the income for that,I guess I can only dream,