Today, the full line up of headlining international Drag acts has been announced for the first ever Classical Drag – one of the must-see events of this year’s London Pride.
Added to the lineup today are the incredible array of Drag talent who will be walking the runway in this never-before-seen performance where the worlds of Drag and classical music collide for one night only as part of Classical Pride’s five-day festival for 2024. They are; Rhys’s Pieces, Oedipussi Rex, Aaron Manhattan, Stealia Jobs, Orlando, Le Fil and Cassandra.
Taking over Soho’s Outernet on 3 July 2024, Classical Drag will feature Drag superstars Monét X Change (RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner season 4) and Thorgy Thor (RuPaul’s Drag Race season 4 / All Stars season 3) who will headline proceedings with special performances including Thorgy performing a violin solo and Monét joining the evening’s judging panel. They are joined by the very best of London Drag talent including Vinegar Strokes, Beau Jangles, Barbs, Freddie Love, Snow White Trash and the legendary Jonny Woo plus Opera’s Nicky Spence.
Also added to the lineup today, tour de force on the cabaret scene, Sadie Sinner will co-host the evening. Sadie has hosted a number of major events including Black Pride UK, London Pride, Mighty Hoopla, and is a founding member of The Cocoa Butter Club as well as starring in the hit play Sound of the Underground by Travis Alabanza at The Royal Court.
This first-of-its-kind show will fuse the world of classical music and Drag with Drag Queens and Kings singing opera, and performing concerto solos all whilst slaying on the catwalk. Brava performances will bring arias and sweeping scores from the likes of Carmen, Turandot, Tosca and Grieg’s Piano Concerto to life as audiences have never seen before, including a world premiere composition.
The evening will be accompanied by a live orchestra made up of exceptional LGBTQ+ talent conducted by the acclaimed Oliver Zeffman, Founder and Artistic Director of Classical Pride.
Following the huge success of its inaugural year in 2023, Classical Pride is now a five-day festival of major events in 2024 taking place from 3-7 July. The season includes a choral concert featuring the world premiere of a new work by Isobel Waller-Bridge, a showcase of the top LGBTQ+ musicians from the London music colleges, a performance of Julian Eastman’s Gay Guerilla. The finale on 7 July at the Barbican will feature the London Symphony Orchestra with Oliver Zeffman, hosted by Nick Grimshaw with a lineup of star soloists presenting a diverse programme of LGBTQ+ composers including a world premiere of brand new work by Jake Heggie with a text by Taylor Mac.
