This Drag-A-Thon Just Set a New Guinness World Record
The event produced by Wildfang and hosted at Portland's historic Darcelle XV Showplace broke the record for longest drag performance and raised $290K for the Trevor Project
After 48 hours of non-stop drag by more than 120 queens, kings and emcees, queer-owned apparel company WILDFANG has officially broken and set the new world record for longest drag performance. The event, which also raised $290K for the Trevor Project, included over 600 songs and 700 set changes.
The Tea:
The DRAG-A-THON was produced by WILDFANG and was hosted at Portland, Oregon's historic drag cabaret, Darcelle XV Showplace. The 48-hour event began on Monday, July 10 and aimed to break the previous record set in 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.
Performers included Frankie Grande, Eureka O’Hara, Peppermint, Lala Ri, and dozens more.
The Background
The mission of the DRAG-A-THON was to speak out during a record-breaking year of anti-LGBTQ legislation. In 2023, there have been over 400 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation—several of which were drag bans—introduced in state legislatures across the country.
“This event has been a historic testament to the power of self-expression,” said Emma McIlroy, Founder and CEO of WILDFANG, as well as the producer of DRAG-A-THON. “I’ve produced a lot of shows over my career, but nothing like DRAG-A-THON. We’re overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the Portland community—there’s no other city in the world where we could have pulled this off.”
Further Reading
Check out our recent feature interview with WILDFANG founder and CEO Emma McIlroy: Wildfang Founder Says F**k the Rules, Don't Give Up
