Icons only - Rangebow 2026 Drag Pageant

The Rangebow Drag Pageant celebrating the women who changed everything

This event sells out every year.

Produced and directed by one of Australia’s leading drag artists, Ashley Swift — winner of Drag Entertainer of the Year and a beloved force of fabulousness — the Rangebow Drag Pageant returns in 2026 with a glamorous new twist.

This year’s pageant celebrates the ultimate female icons — the women who defined glamour, attitude and stage power. Think Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Cher and other legendary divas brought dazzlingly to life by queens who know how to command a stage.

For the first time, three returning professional drag performers — queens who have helped build the Rangebow Drag Pageant across its first four festivals — will battle it out in a spectacular showdown of iconic transformations, competing for the Rangebow Icon Crown and a fabulous $1000 cash prize.

The evening will also feature a special guest performance by Drag Hall of Fame artist Ashley Swift, the creative force behind the show, delivering a show-stopping tribute worthy of the icons themselves.

But the magic doesn’t stop there.

Our beloved Glambassador competition returns, where our transformed amateur performers — mentored and magnificently made over — take the stage to compete for the perpetual crown of Rangebow Glambassador.

Expect nerves, glitter, courage and glorious self-expression as new stars are born before your eyes.

And of course, every audience member receives a Rangebow Drag Pageant clack fan — a fabulous clack fan designed specially for the event. The audience uses their fans to clap, cheer and clack their approval as the queens take the stage. When the room fills with fans and applause, the energy becomes electric.

With dazzling costumes, powerhouse performances, legendary divas and enough sass, sparkle and sequins to light up the entire Rangebow Festival, this is one of the festival’s most joyful and unforgettable nights.

It’s a night of glamour, transformation and unapologetic fabulousness.

What to Expect

Iconic Transformations

Drag performers bring legendary women like Cher, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe and Madonna dazzlingly to life on the Rangebow stage.

Two Crowns Up for Grabs

Professional queens compete for the Rangebow Icon Crown, while amateur contestants battle for the beloved Rangebow Glambassador title.

Spectacle, Sass and Sequins

Expect outrageous costumes, powerhouse performances, glittering glamour and a show-stopping guest performance by Drag Hall of Fame artist Ashley Swift.

The Legendary Clack Fans

Every audience member receives a custom-designed Rangebow clack fan. When the performances heat up, the entire room erupts in a joyful storm of clacking fans and cheers.