7 geeky themed drag shows
With a new year just beginning and our love of geeky drag never fading, we’ve put together a list of 7 drag shows that highlight our favorite fandoms!
There are thousands of different themed drag shows that have popped up in our communities all over the world in the past several years alone, but what about the ones that are specifically themed for fans of video games, anime, comics, and more?
Well, look no further, as we’ve compiled a list of 7 drag shows that focus on exactly those themes that feature queens and kings coming together for our shared special interests!
The Aud Ball
The Aud Ball, based in New York City, is where comics, anime, gaming, and drag all collide — a wild mashup brought to life by Glam Award–winner Suddenly Audrey. It kicked off in 2024 with Haus of X, a full-throttle X-Men drag tribute, and has been leveling up ever since. Each Ball takes a different universe and flips it on its head with sickening performances and over-the-top visuals. Past themes? Pokémon, Avengers, Steven Universe, Super Smash Bros., Toonami — you name it.
Think of it as cosplay turned queer fever dream — and trust, nothing’s off-limits. You can catch The Aud Ball’s next show on Pokémon Day this coming February 27th where you can celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pokemon in style! Check out the website for more information.
SlayStation
SlayStation, based in London, is more than just a cheeky play on words, it’s a full blown drag extravaganza based on our favorite games! Created and ran by Velvet Caveat, SlayStation has become a cultural phenomenon online, with viral videos from their shows popping up on my timeline across the last two years!
If you want to catch their next show and experience the event instead of having FOMO from seeing it go viral online after the fact, get your tickets now for The Mega Master Ball that’s on January 23rd before they sell out! Give them a follow on Instagram too, it’s worth it for the memes alone!
Slay The Arcade
Slay The Arcade, a drag show in Woodstock, GA at the Blue Ghost Arcade, is a semi-regular event that has become a staple of the queer and nerdy community in Georgia. It is literally hosted in an arcade, with unforgettable performances by queens who love all the same nerdy things that we do!
It also has featured two of the queens that were on our listicle of nerdy drag queens we’d like to see on drag race, Dotte Com and Koochie Koochie Ku, so you know the talent and creativity is served every show!
Be sure to give The Blue Ghost Arcade a follow on Instagram if you want to see when their next show is, and check out their website if you want more information about the business for their other events too.
Themed shows at The High Hall
The High Hall in Chicago, IL is a DIY queer theater that serves several different themed shows throughout the year, such one called “Press Start” that focused on video game characters. They’ve also done an Avatar: The Last Airbender themed show, and recently a Twilight Zone themed show.
The High Hall does so many other themes too that look iconic, so give them a follow on Instagram to see what’s on the docket next, pitch a nerdy idea to them on their LinkTree, and get yourself a ticket to one of their shows if you’re in the area!
Mochi Mochi
Mochi Mochi is an iconic recurring drag show based in Austin, TX that focuses on so many unique and geeky anime themes that I think I might just have to fly out there sometime just to catch one! They did a Studio Ghibli themed drag tribute show just last month, and a show called “Taste of Anime” in November inspired by our favorite anime foods. I WISH I were there for that one because the food in anime is beautiful and always makes me hungry!
Last summer, they even did a PopMart themed show with vendors and a giveaway. Imagine getting to see a drag show and winning a Labubu at the same time!
Be sure to give the venue that host Mochi Mochi, High Ball Austin, a follow on Instagram to see what they’re up to next!
Shia Ho Presents
C’mon Everybody, one of the coolest venues in Brooklyn, NY, hosts a wide variety of drag shows that showcase some of the best drag in the entire city. The possibilities are endless here for nerdy and geeky themed shows, but especially the ones that Shia Ho presents, where she dedicates tributes to some of our favorite games and anime!
I only wish I could have been there for the One Piece tribute as a self proclaimed gay pirate myself, and I have serious FOMO not getting to see the Kingdom Hearts show too! Shia Ho is a mastermind with her dedicated themes.
Be sure to give Shia Ho a follow on Instagram to see what she’s up to next, and get a ticket to her next show so you don’t miss out on an epic showcase of geeky themed drag!
Jimmy Sherfy’s Haus of Cosplay
Jimmy Sherfy is a cosplayer that performs all over the west coast, and her Haus of Cosplay events in Southern California feature unforgettable performances from iconic lineups with unique themes. I have a feeling I’d have a blast seeing all of these legendary performers at each show, and I’ll have to catch one next time I’m in the area!
The next Haus of Cosplay show is this weekend at Anime Los Angeles, but if you can’t make that, be sure to give the event page a follow to keep up with what’s next!
Are there any geeky and nerdy drag themed shows or venues that host them that we missed in this list? Be sure to let us know and so we can share them next time so we never have FOMO again!
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