Christmas is often considered the most wonderful time of year, and just as winter starts to settle in, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK arrives on screens—an event some would argue is equally as wonderful. Season six not only earned the title as one of the top-rated of the UK franchise but also had one of the strongest casts in recent years. However, with a cast so talented, it was always going to be hard to tell who would ultimately snatch the crown; however, that honour was bestowed upon our fabulous trash queen, Kyran Thrax.
With it being Christmas, Glitterbomb delivered three glorious gifts to Southampton during the season six takeover tour. The dynamic trio—Manchester’s endlessly talented Lill, London’s sexiest queen Rileasa Slaves, and our new reigning winner Kyran—lit up the stage for fans, kicking off the festive season in style.
You know those Christmas presents you secretly wish for? Well, this was one of them. Our host for the evening was the fabulous Dame Jame, who was on hand to lube—Ahem—I mean warm up—the crowds before our glorious trio took to the stage. Clad in a dress of our lady Di, it was the epitome of British humour and fashion. What followed was a whirlwind of comedy and camp, featuring brilliant mashups of Britney Spears and The Killers—who knew a combo of these could work so well to get the crowd amped up?
Not that it’s necessary to hype up a drag crowd, as they are always primed and ready to be entertained and ready for a night of gods knows what. But having a host like Dame Jame is the extra sweet treat. The ability to control, captivate, and deliver exactly what a crowd craves is a skill that some find hard to muster successfully. A personal favourite moment was the unexpected rendition of the Pokémon theme soundtrack—because who doesn’t want to be the very best? Jokes aside, Dame Jame’s vocals were insanely good.
Traditional drag shows like to tease the crowd by leaving the winner last, but not on this tour. Drumming up the excitement and anticipation as out stepped the reigning queen Kyran Thrax. Having attended many K-pop shows this year, judging by the screams that erupted, you would have thought an idol had arrived. Despite the intimate setting, every corner of the room was worked—from the stage, catwalk, back of the room, and even the bar area. Dressed in her beautifully witchy outfit seen on episode one, the expectations were sky-high, and she could easily have simply stood and looked pretty. Instead she launched into Goldfrapp’s Lalala. Personally, I’m a sucker for these numbers that twirl into a jump split/death drop. The drama leading up to it is always so exciting.
Manchester icon Lill made her entrance rocking a leopard-print updo and a chic mac coat, a number that was equal parts seductive and cheeky and revealing a sexy burlesque-esque routine. With nothing but a chair and some signs, she held a dominating presence, having the audience hook, line, and sinker, hanging on to every strut and shoulder shrug as she unbuttoned to reveal an absolutely stunning sequined two-piece.

What followed next was without a doubt one of the sexiest performances I’ve seen at any drag show. On the Drag Race, Rileasa mentioned how she’s often mistaken for pop sensation Rihanna, and, well, baby, on stage that was Rihanna, and no one could tell us otherwise. Performing in a striking red mesh outfit, she turned out an equally sexy routine to a Rihanna medley. Also, credit to the light team, who made sure the light followed her into the crowd, proof that the world is her stage. Words and photos couldn’t possibly do justice to what we saw during her set—although do check out the photos on our socials!
The second half started with Dame Jame taking charge, opening with the iconic foot-stomping anthem Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. Which has ironically somehow become an annoying straight white man football anthem, but Tuesday it was brilliantly reclaimed. Decked out in a football-inspired outfit, she worked out the crowd into a raving nightclub with the 90’s anthem Insomnia. With drinks flowing nicely, it had the crowd on their feet, fully immersed in the rave-like atmosphere.

Lill returned to the stage in the most stunningly white, 70s-inspired Dolly Parton gown, adorned in flowing mesh and sparkle details. She shared that she’d been taking singing lessons before launching into lip-syncing Whitney Houston’s/Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, mixed in with some of her own live vocals. This segment captured perfectly what people adore about Lill, the perfect goodie bag of perfect comedic timing, glamorous style, and the ability to command a room.
With one or two phones swaying, torches lit, Lill couldn’t help but comment on “how dead nice it looked” and asked everyone else to join in. In one swift moment, everyone followed, ultimately making the room glow, to which she then laughingly said, “Oh, that’s quite scary actually; dim it,” to a room of laughter. This playful interaction is one of the joys of drag, the effortless connection between artist and audience. It’s relaxed, without barriers, where everyone is mature enough to engage back and forth and act like normal people. While, of course, some audiences can get rowdy and a little too personal, luckily tonight it was more like a group of friends enjoying a night out and cheering on their talented friends.

Next came another sizzling performance from Rileasa in a leopard print number. Earlier, she had asked for a gentleman to consent to being part of her second act, and although he was slightly shy, he nodded and agreed. She pulled the brave Daniel onstage from the crowd to receive a very lucky onstage moment that he surely won’t be forgetting for a very long time. Proceeding to deliver a seductive slow lap dance. It was at this moment everyone in the room, regardless of gender identity or sexual preference, wished they were in Daniel’s position.

Finally, Kyran graced the stage with an incredibly fun mashup of Demi Lovato’s Confident and captured the very essence of who Kyran is. Mixing the track with her entrance lines on the show, to which the queens claimed, “You’re a bit cocky; do you think you’re going to win?” Cut to Kyran’s reply of “Yeah, don’t you?” into a perfectly timed shablam. This is a person who has battled people calling her confident and cocky throughout life, and instead of downplaying her talent, knows herself and owns it. In fact, each of these queens delivered; they brought their unique styles and talents—both from before Drag Race and during their time on TV—to the stage and did not disappoint.
Before the show, Kyran told us how, since his win, the last few weeks have been almost a blur consisting of no sleep, but endless love from the fans. Although he got on the show, it’s still hard to believe he went on to win. But you never would have guessed from Tuesday, as what we saw was a glorious look at just what three passionate individuals, driven by a dream to showcase their drag on TV, can do. It’s a powerful reminder that those who have worked hard and stay focused can turn them into a reality, as was evident both on stage and in the connection with the fans, many of whom had the chance to meet them perhaps even have their dreams come true in a small way.

We do hope others get a chance to catch them on the final two dates as they wrap up the tour. If not, be sure to see all the queens and the Glitterbomb team at DragCon UK on the 8th of January. A big thank you to Glitterbomb for having us!