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Top Drag Queens in Brooklyn (2026 Guide)
Top Drag Queens in Brooklyn (2026 Guide)
By Jordan Vale
Beauty Editor • NYC Drag & Nightlife Analyst
Published: September 18, 2025
Updated: April 2, 2026
Brooklyn drag is not the same as Manhattan drag.
It’s less polished in a pageant sense—and more art-driven, experimental, chaotic, and intentional. The best Brooklyn queens don’t just perform… they shape the culture.
These five queens represent different corners of Brooklyn drag right now: comedy, fashion, nightlife legacy, production, and emerging presence.
1. Miss Ma’amShe
1. Miss Ma’amShe
A comedic disruptor with real performance instincts.
Miss Ma’amShe is part of a newer wave of Brooklyn queens who prioritize personality and unpredictability over formula. She gained momentum through competitions like Bitchfest, where she notably won a comedy challenge by doing fully improvised stand-up—a high-risk move that paid off.
Her background in film and comedy shows up clearly in her drag: she understands pacing, audience energy, and timing in a way many newer performers don’t.
She’s also outspoken about industry issues—particularly around pay equity and diversity in bookings, which positions her as both a performer and a thinker in the scene.
Why she stands out:
She’s funny in a real way—not rehearsed, not forced—and that’s rare.
2. Jazmine
2. Jazmine
A fashion-first beauty quickly scaling NYC nightlife.
Originally from Portugal, Jazmine arrived in New York and accelerated quickly—working across multiple venues within her first year and earning GLAM Award nominations for Breakthrough Artist and Best Dressed.
She identifies primarily as a fashion queen, with strong control over her image, styling, and presentation. Her drag is highly visual—clean, curated, and intentional—with a clear understanding of branding and social media presence.
What’s notable is how quickly she adapted to NYC nightlife, turning visibility into momentum.
Why she stands out:
She combines European fashion sensibility with NYC hustle—and it’s working.
3. Shia Ho
3. Shia Ho
A “glamp” queen blending glamour, camp, and cultural intention.
Shia Ho is one of the most conceptually thoughtful queens in Brooklyn right now. She describes her drag as “glamp” (glamour + camp), and her work consistently balances beauty with humor and messaging.
She’s also a builder—not just a performer—having created SaSHEmi, a platform designed to showcase Asian drag artists without stereotype or limitation.
Technically, she’s strong as well:
self-taught makeup with constant refinement
costume construction skills (learned sewing young)
awareness of audience pacing and show balance
Why she stands out:
She’s not just performing—she’s shaping representation in the scene.
4. Horrorchata
4. Horrorchata
A foundational architect of Brooklyn drag culture.
Horrorchata is not just a performer—she is infrastructure.
As co-creator of Bushwig, one of the most important drag festivals in the world, she helped define what Brooklyn drag even is:
experimental
punk-influenced
community-driven
She has also built and sustained multiple nightlife spaces and parties, while DJing and performing internationally.
Her roots in Austin’s club kid scene translate directly into her aesthetic: art drag, nightlife chaos, and creative freedom.
Why she stands out:
Without her, Brooklyn drag would look very different.
5. Chase Runaway
5. Chase Runaway
A multidisciplinary performer merging fashion, production, and performance.
Chase Runaway represents the DIY, self-produced Brooklyn artist.
She has:
created and produced her own digital drag shows
built full visual experiences (editing, sound, branding) herself
maintained a wide-ranging performance style (dance, ballads, theater)
Her aesthetic pulls from 70s–90s femininity, often blending high fashion with playful elements like chest hair drag—challenging traditional beauty expectations.
She also actively contributes to the Brooklyn scene through hosting and competitions.
Why she stands out:
She’s not waiting for opportunities—she builds them herself.
What Defines Brooklyn Drag
What Defines Brooklyn Drag
Brooklyn queens tend to prioritize:
originality over perfection
concept over polish
community over hierarchy
You’re more likely to see:
experimental mixes
political messaging
hybrid drag (club kid, burlesque, performance art)
Brooklyn vs Manhattan Drag
Brooklyn vs Manhattan Drag
DIY, artistic, underground
audience expects originality
producers and performers often overlap
polished, commercial, high-volume
audience expects entertainment consistency
clearer hierarchy of bookings
Neither is better—but they reward different skills.
Related Articles
Related Articles
Final Take
Final Take
Brooklyn drag is where evolution happens.
These queens aren’t just performing—they’re testing ideas, building platforms, and reshaping what drag looks like in New York.
If you want to understand where drag is going next, you watch Brooklyn.
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