RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 18 Cast Revealed: Meet the 14 Queens Vying for the Crown
Get ready, queens! MTV and World of Wonder officially "ru-vealed" the 14 fierce new contestants for the upcoming RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. The competition for the $200,000 cash prize and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar kicks off on Friday, January 2, 2026.
The new season's theme is "In shady times, let there be light. And let there be drag," with a focus on reclamation, renewal, and glowing.
Meet the Queens of Season 18
The cast features queens with impressive resumes, from a former backup dancer for Rihanna and Britney Spears to the first-ever competing drag mother and daughter duo.
Athena Dion (Miami, FL): The prolific drag mother of the Dion Dynasty, making herstory by competing alongside her drag daughter.
Briar Blush (Boston, MA): Boston's pin-up princess, bringing a mix of retro glam, goth edges, and a sharp wit.
Ciara Myst (Indianapolis, IN): A "shapeshifting superstar" and prosthetic makeup artist for Marvel Studios, blending sci-fi, horror, and magic into her drag.
Darlene Mitchell (Los Angeles, CA): A country, camp queen known for soap opera glamour and Midwestern panache, making a comeback after a five-year hiatus.
DD Fuego (New York, NY): Born in Monterrey, Mexico, DD Fuego brings high heat, maximum impact, and a background as a production designer.
Discord Addams (St. Petersburg, FL): A high-fashion punk rocker ready to bring chaos and trade the mosh pit for the runway.
Jane Don't (Seattle, WA): A comedy queen inspired by old-school funny ladies, who counts Bosco and Irene the Alien as drag sisters.
Juicy Love Dion (Miami, FL): Small in size but colossal in talent, she is an Afro-Cuban dancing doll and the drag daughter of fellow competitor Athena Dion.
Kenya Pleaser (Sumter, SC): This Southern showstopper brings "auntie energy" and high energy performances, ready to show that curves and confidence are a winning combination.
Mandy Mango (Philadelphia, PA): Philly's favorite fruit, a nurse by day and a kooky, conceptual queen by night.
Mia Starr (West Palm Beach, FL): A 90s/early 2000s hip-hop dancing diva with world tour credits for Rihanna and Britney, ready for the spotlight after a 14-year break from drag.
Myki Meeks (Orlando, FL): A "recovering theater kid" who blends glamour with camp, known for her quick wit and stage presence.
Nini Coco (Denver, CO): A former mechanical engineer who traded blueprints for sequins and high fashion, ready to prove it was a risk worth taking.
Vita VonTesse Starr (Montgomery, AL): A pageant powerhouse and an icon of opulence from the famed Starr drag family, known for handcrafting show-stopping looks.
Season Details
The premiere episode's main challenge will be a design challenge, where the queens must create their own signature drag look from "leftover treasures" from the Drag Race vaults. Law Roach will join the rotating judging panel this season, replacing Ts Madison.