RuPaul breaks world record for largest drag show ever in Calgary
RuPaul (Getty Images)
Thousands of drag fans have set a new Guinness World Record for the largest drag show in history, in a celebration headlined by RuPaul.
A record-breaking 7,423 people packed out “Drag Me to Cowboys”, the drag stage show at Calgary‘s Cowboys Music Festival in Alberta, Canada, on 11 July, claiming the title for the largest attendance at a drag artist stage show ever.
Drag Race legends appeared alongside RuPaul at the festival, including Sasha Velour, Sasha Colby, Roxxxy Andrews and Coco Montrese alongside local Canadian performers.
The crowd erupted when RuPaul arrived to dance and DJ, later grabbing the microphone to lip-sync to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as the record was confirmed.
The festival, which has run for 30 years, said it wanted to mark its anniversary with an official record count to prove the community was “more alive than ever”. “Our goal with this record is to make this a title worth fighting for in the future, by expanding the size and impact of drag performances worldwide,” organisers told Guinness World Records.
Host Farrah Nuff said she was honoured to be part of one of the festival’s biggest events, while co-performer Karla Marx said the show’s popularity proved the public still embraced the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. “It shows that queerness is celebrated and welcome in Alberta,” she said. “On the biggest stages and in the biggest celebrations in Canada and Alberta… queerness is absolutely a vibrant part of our communities.”
“People were connected through music,” said Guinness World Records adjudicator Tina Shi. “This inspired them to embrace life more fully, and experience the passion and joy of music and dance.”
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