‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ RU-veals Season 18 Cast

Gentlemen, start your engines! RuPaul’s Drag Race is back, bolder and brasher than ever, flipping the switch on Season 18 with a “let there be light” glow-up of prismatic proportions.

MTV announced Tuesday that Season 18 of the Emmy-winning juggernaut drops Friday, January 2, at 8:00 PM ET/PT with 90-minute episodes packed to the brim with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.

Fourteen fresh queens from across the country are sashaying into the Werk Room and ready to snatch the crown as they compete to take on the title, last won by Onya Nurve of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

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The winner will also receive an official Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup collab and a cash prize of $200,000 courtesy of the popular video game RuPaul’s Drag Race Match Queen.

In the premiere, the dolls dive into the Drag Race vaults for the “Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!” challenge, resurrecting relics from seasons past and spinning them into runway-ready lewks. And if that’s not enough drama, MTV adds that Untucked is back, streaming right after the mainstage madness at 9:30 PM ET/PT, where the queens spill tea and shed tears before one of the bottom queens is forced to sashay away.

Meet The Drag Race Season 18 Queens

This year’s lineup features a mother–daughter duo, a polished pageant powerhouse, and a sexual health nurse who’s ready to put these queens on bed rest–for good.

Athena Dion (Miami, FL) @athenadion and Juicy Love Dion (Miami, FL) @thejuicylove make Drag Race herstory as the first-ever mother/daughter duo to compete together.

Athena is a legendary drag mother with a dynasty spanning Miami and Mykonos, and Juicy is Miami’s Afro-Cuban dancing doll described as “small but ferocious.”

Briar Blush (Boston, MA) is retro yet edgy, goth yet glamorous. Sweet? Maybe. But mess with her, and those thorns will sting. Briar’s here to be remembered, not liked.

Ciara Myst (Indianapolis, IN) is part sci-fi, part horror, all magic. Creature transformations, prosthetic wizardry, and ethereal looks—Ciara is ready to haunt, mesmerize, and slay.

Darlene Mitchell (Los Angeles, CA) is campy country chaos, Peg Bundy hair included. After a five-year hiatus, she’s back to see if the main stage can drag her out of hiding.

DD Fuego (New York, NY) brings high heat, high drama, and zero clichés. Smoke, fire, and runway-ready looks? Check, check, check.

Discord Addams (St. Petersburg, FL) is punk rock personified—safety pins, studs, and chaos included. She’s ready to trade the mosh pit for the runway and serve some serious drag rock realness.