As the rest of the world gets into the holiday spirit, drag fans are gearing up for a different kind of season entirely after MTV unveiled the new cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 on Tuesday (Dec. 2).
Set to premiere on Jan. 2, the latest season of Drag Race will see 14 new contestants enter the work room and compete in acting, design, comedy and musical challenges for the chance to win a $200,000 cash prize, an official makeup collab with with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics and the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.
The 14 new queens joining the Drag Race franchise include Athena Dion, Briar Blush, Ciara Myst, Darlene Mitchell, DD Fuego, Discord Addams, Jane Don’t, Juicy Love Dion, Kenya Pleaser, Mandy Mango, Mia Starr, Myki Meeks, Nini Coco and Vita VonTesse Starr.
In the official teaser trailer for the season, Emmy-winning host RuPaul introduces fans to the bevy of new members of the franchise, while also giving us a glimpse at the overarching theme of the season. “In shady times, let there be light. And let there be drag,” she proclaims in the new trailer. “This season, 14 new queens will be the light the world needs right now, more than ever … Ready, set, glow.”
Along with revealing the cast and premiere date, MTV and World of Wonder also gave fans a glimpse into the premiere episode’s main challenge. In a press release, the network revealed that the new contestants will not be taking on the talent show challenge in the first episode, but instead a design challenge, as the they sift through the “leftover treasures” from past contestants to create “their own signature drag look” for the runway.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 premieres on MTV Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Meet the entire cast of new queens in the video below:
