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RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 Cast Revealed, Premiere Set for Jan. 2 on MTV

The 14-queen lineup will vie for $200,000 plus an Anastasia Beverly Hills collaboration, launching with a vault-themed design challenge.

Overview

  • MTV and World of Wonder confirmed a Jan. 2, 2026 premiere at 8 p.m. ET, with episodes reported to run 90 minutes.
  • The season opens with “Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!,” a runway design task built from “leftover treasures” in the Drag Race vaults.
  • Cast includes Athena Dion and Juicy Love Dion, marking the franchise’s first mother–daughter competitors from the Dion drag family.
  • Several queens have direct ties to past contestants, including Jane Don’t, a drag sister to Bosco and Irene The Alien.
  • Coverage highlights regional representation with five Florida-based queens among the 14, reflecting a strong Sunshine State presence.