LGBTQ

The Love Affair Between Las Vegas and Drag Culture

Edward Odongo
January 20, 2023

Drag is part of the core entertainment options in Las Vegas. It’s an epic representation of a culture that dates back more than 100 years and is deeply rooted in the LGBTQI community in the city and Nevada. Every year Las Vegas hosts several drag races events and shows, including RuPaul’s Drag Race reality show and competition.

Drag History in Las Vegas

The love affair between Sin City and drag culture started in the 1930s when female impersonators flocked Fremont Street. Soon female impersonation became a central part of the Las Vegas entertainment scene. In the 1930s, the famous Billy Richards was featured as a legendary female impersonator in the Fremont Tavern and Green Shack. During World War II, Las Vegas witnessed electrifying performances of Francis Russell and Gordon Stafford at the infamous Kit Kat Club.

In the early 1950s, the Las Vegas entertainment scene was now more welcoming to female impersonation, which wasn’t yet named drag. The 1950s saw the rise of top drag queens performers like T. C. Jones, Jim Bailey, Lynne Carter, and Craig Russell. Despite the stars bringing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to Sin City, their shows didn’t get the spotlight they deserved, compared to the Lido de Paris and Folies Bergere.

The 1980s saw the explosion of drag performances on the Las Vegas Strip, and the next twenty years showed more acceptance and appreciation of the drag culture in Sin City. In 2003, Cirque du Soleil hired a popular New York drag queen for its Zumanity show. Las Vegas still prides itself in being the best drag scene in the world, hosting the famous RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has won several Emmy awards. In Nevada, drag queens can participate in community activities like reading to children in the Nevadan libraries.

Many drag queen performers have embraced drag performance as a full-time job and pursue it like any other 8 am to 5 pm job. Even though drag culture and performances are a central part of the LGBTQI community, it has become more popular among the heterosexual community. Some drag queens identify as straight and have managed to excel in their niche as drag performers. Drag queens can create unique characters or impersonate famous female characters in history.

For instance, Derrick Barry is famous for being a Britney Spears impersonator. At the same time, Roy R. Haylock has managed to create a successful career with the character Bianca Del Rio, earning the self-proclaimed title “Clown in a Gown.” Frank Marino is a famous female impersonator from New York who has dominated the Vegas drag scene earning the title Ms. Las Vegas. He enjoyed a longtime leading role as Joan Rivers in Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas, a popular Las Vegas drag revue.

Las Vegas drag culture has birthed many drag queens. Some of the top drag queen performers from Las Vegas include Coco Montrese, who competed in Drag Race: Season 5 and All Stars: Season 2.

The Drag Culture and Performance Scene in Sin City

Our brief guide gives details on the best drag performances and shows in Las Vegas.

Best Drag Queen Bars in Las Vegas

The drag queen bars in Sin City are the best places to enjoy amazing daily performances from drag queens in Las Vegas as you enjoy your drink. The bars offer a wonderful, safe space to interact and socialize with other fans. Drag bars range from high-end ones, which feature celebrity drag queens, to more affordable ones, which feature upcoming drag queens. Nevertheless, you are guaranteed a fun performance, ranging from on-stage splits to crazy lip-sync battles.

Popular drag queen bars in Sin City to explore include:

The Garden Las Vegas

  • Address: 1017 S 1st St
  • Hours: Thursday and Friday (8 pm to 2 am), Saturday (11 am to 2 am), and Sunday (11 am to 10 pm).
  • Phone: 702-202-0900
  • Website: https://www.thegardenlasvegas.com/

The Phoenix Bar & Lounge

Hamburger Mary’s

  • Address: 1700 E Flamingo Rd
  • Hours: Thursday (5 pm to 11:30 pm), Friday (7 pm to 10 pm), Saturday (11 am to 2 pm, 7 pm to 10 pm), Sunday (11 am to 2 pm)
  • Phone: 702-592-0208
  • Website: https://www.hamburgermarys.com/lasvegas/

Piranha Nightclub

  • Address: 4633 Paradise Rd
  • Hours: Sunday to Thursday (10 pm to 5 am), Friday and Saturday (10 pm to 6 am)
  • Phone: 702-791-0100
  • Website: https://www.piranhavegas.com/

Don’t Tell Mama

  • Located in: Neonopolis
  • Address: 450 E Fremont St
  • Hours: Tuesday to Thursday (8 pm to 2:30 am), Friday and Saturday (8 pm to 3:30 am), and Sunday (8 pm to 2 am).
  • Phone: 702-207-0788
  • Website: https://www.donttellmama.com/

Free Zone

Badlands Las Vegas

  • Located in: The Historic Commercial Center District
  • Address: 953 E Sahara Ave
  • Hours: Open 24 hours
  • Phone: 702-792-9262
  • Website: https://badlandsbarlv.com/

 

Best Drag Queen Brunches in Las Vegas

Sin City is famous for brunch. Brunch allows you to get rid of the crazy hangover by enjoying a hearty breakfast and some nice mocktails and cocktails.

How is a drag brunch different from a regular brunch? The drag brunch features a drag queen or a king flamboyantly dressed in outrageous costumes. Apart from the eye-catching costumes and makeup, these amazing performances guarantee you a morning and afternoon filled with lip-synching, dancing, and great jokes in between to keep the crowd entertained.

Find the thrill of attending a drag queen brunch at the following spots.

Señor Frog’s

  • Located in: Treasure Island
  • Address: 3300 Las Vegas Blvd S
  • Hours: Friday to Sunday (11 am to 5 am), Monday (4 pm to 10 pm), Tuesday and Wednesday (4 pm to 2 am), and Thursday (11 am to 4 am).
  • Phone: 800-944-7444
  • Website: https://senorfrogs.com/las-vegas/

Diva Royale Drag Queens Show

Faaabulous! The Show

Jimmy’s @ Madison’s

Drag Queen Performances in Las Vegas

Sin City holds the reputation of hosting over-the-top performances and shows, and the drag queen performances are no exception. Las Vegas hosts endless bachelorette parties, the most popular performance platform for drag performers. Apart from the bachelorette parties, the city has many drag shows and performances throughout the week.

Many drag performances in Vegas are children friendly, and parents don’t need to worry about obscenity. If you do plan on attending a drag performance with children, it’s always best to make early reservations and get clarity on whether the performance is children-friendly.

Popular drag shows in Sin City that are a must-see include:

Señor Frog’s

  • Hours: Friday to Sunday (11 am to 5 am), Monday (4 pm to 10 pm), Tuesday and Wednesday (4 pm to 2 am), and Thursday (11 am to 4 am).
  • Phone: 800-944-7444
  • Website: https://senorfrogs.com/las-vegas/

Diva Royale Drag Queens Show

Faaabulous! The Show

RuPaul’s Drag Race Live

Las Vegas Pride

The Las Vegas Pride festival and celebrations happen in October, also LGBTQI history month. The city holds its pride festival in October because of the more favorable weather. Many people who are supporters, friends, and relatives of the local LGBTQI community come together to celebrate the festival. The festival features a pride parade and many drag performances across the city and is one the most attended celebrations in the city.

Apart from bringing the LGBTQI community together, the Las Vegas Pride festivals offer a wonderful platform for creating awareness of some of the social problems faced by the community.

Conclusion

Sin City, for many years, has continued honoring the drag culture by supporting the ever-growing drag community. Apart from hosting the best drag shows in the country, the city has favorable local laws and regulations, creating a safer environment for drag queens and performers.

Author

Edward Odongo

Edward Odongo

Copyright © 2025 Vegas 411 | Know Vegas. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Vegas 411 | Know Vegas. All rights reserved.