UK buildings to light up green in memory of Drag Race star The Vivienne
The Vivienne died in January, aged 32. (Getty)
The Vivienne died in January, aged 32. (Getty)
Buildings across the north west of England will light up green to honour The Vivienne, one year on from her death.
The winner of the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, a Dancing on Ice finalist and West End star, The Vivienne – real name James Lee Williams – was a firm fan favourite amongst drag stans and became an entertainment powerhouse in the years following her victory on the show.
Originally from Colwyn Bay in Wales, the star moved to Liverpool aged 16 to pursue a career as a make-up artist.
She died on 3 January 2025 at the age of 32 from cardiac arrest as a result of taking ketamine. An inquest into the drag performer’s death subsequently hearing she had “relatively high” level of ketamine in her system.
The Vivienne’s death sent shock waves Drag Race community, wider LGBTQ+ community and entertainment world, with hundreds of people turning out to pay tribute to her at a vigil in Liverpool and RuPaul giving a heartwarming speech in her honour at DragCon.
Following her death, The Vivienne’s family launched The House of the Vivienne, a support group for those struggling with addiction.
On the the one year anniversary of her death, iconic buildings across the north west – including the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool – will light up green to honour her.
The colour being a reference to the drag star’s role as the Wicked Witch of the West in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End and UK tour production of the Wizard of Oz.
Discussing the celebration of The Vivienne’s life, creator of the Proudly Said podcast John Hyland, who worked to get the various venues involved, said: “A year on, a lot of people are still carrying the loss of James in their own ways.
Putting together this visual tribute was about giving that feeling a shared outlet, and letting those in the North West, across Liverpool, Chester and Manchester, reflect what The Vivienne meant to them; whilst also raising awareness of The House of the Vivienne and the work they do to support others.
“It also showcases how incredible these places are for always getting behind their own.”
The full list of venues currently confirmed to light up includes:
Liverpool
- St George’s Hall
- St John’s Beacon
- Liverpool ONE, including the stairs leading to The Terrace and the John Lewis bridge
- Liverpool Empire
- The ACC Liverpool campus, including M&S Bank Arena, the Convention Centre and Exhibition
Centre - Liverpool Paris Church
- Pullman Hotel
- Quirky Quarter (Duke Street),
- The Lisbon
- Superstar Boudoir
- Heaven
Chester
- Rainbow Tearooms
- Storyhouse, Chester
Manchester
- Iconic Bar
- Via
In August the BBC released Dear Viv, a tribute documentary created by RuPaul’s Drag Race production company World of Wonder which featured interviews with the drag star’s friends and family, including Williams’ mother Cassie, father Lee, and sister, Chanel.
Fellow drag icons Cheryl The Queen, Baga Chipz and Raja also appeared in the film and shared their fond memories of The Vivienne.
