RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 Cast Unveiled

MTV has unveiled the cast for Season 18 of RuPaul's Drag Race, introducing 14 new drag performers from across the United States who will compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar, a $200,000 cash prize, and a makeup collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics. The season premieres on January 2, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with 90-minute episodes airing Fridays on the network.

The contestants hail from cities including Miami, Boston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, St. Petersburg, Seattle, Sumter, Philadelphia, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Denver, and Montgomery. Among them are notable connections to past competitors, such as Athena Dion from Miami, a drag mother whose lineage includes Season 16 contestants Morphine Love Dion and Plane Jane. Competing alongside her is Juicy Love Dion, her drag granddaughter and the daughter of Morphine Love Dion, forming the first mother-daughter duo in the show's main season history.

The premiere episode features the challenge "Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!," where the queens will use unused items from the Drag Race vaults to create signature looks, paying tribute to previous seasons. This theme underscores the competition's...