The Werq the World Tour is an annual drag queen tour featuring some of the most popular drag performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The tour was founded in 2017 by Voss Events and World of Wonder, the production companies behind RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Werq the World Tour has become a hugely popular event, selling out large theaters and arenas across the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race flock to the tour to see their favorite queens perform live on stage.
Quick Answers
The 2022 Werq the World Tour features 9 queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race:
- Asia O’Hara (Season 10)
- Aquaria (Season 10 winner)
- Kameron Michaels (Season 10)
- Naomi Smalls (Season 8)
- Vanessa Vanjie Mateo (Season 10 and 11)
- Yvie Oddly (Season 11 winner)
- Jaida Essence Hall (Season 12 winner)
- Plastique Tiara (Season 11)
- Violet Chachki (Season 7 winner)
The tour will visit over 60 cities in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia throughout 2022.
Background on the Werq the World Tour
The Werq the World Tour first launched in 2017 featuring 8 queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9: Aja, Alexis Michelle, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Eureka O’Hara, Farrah Moan, Kimora Blac, Nina Bo’Nina Brown, Peppermint, Sasha Velour, Shea Coulee, Trinity Taylor, and Valentina.
The tour was created as a way for fans to see their favorite Drag Race queens perform live on stage, outside of the TV show format. The production is known for its focus on visually stunning choreography, elaborate costumes and theatricality. Several of the tour’s choreographers and creative directors have worked on Drag Race itself.
Growth of the Tour
The Werq the World Tour has expanded each year, featuring an increasing number of queens and tour dates:
Year | Queens | Cities |
---|---|---|
2017 | 12 | 32 |
2018 | 10 | 60+ |
2019 | 11 | 100+ |
2020 | 10 | 40+ (shortened due to COVID-19) |
2021 | 10 | 100+ |
2022 | 9 | 60+ |
As the tour has expanded, it has visited larger venues including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, London Palladium in the UK, and Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
2022 Werq the World Tour Lineup
The lineup for the 2022 Werq the World Tour features 9 popular RuPaul’s Drag Race queens:
Asia O’Hara
Asia O’Hara competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10, making it to the final four. She is known for her polished pageant drag style and amazing dance skills. Asia also owns her own drag company based out of Dallas, Texas called Asia O’Hara’s Drag.
Aquaria
Aquaria won RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10, landing her first spot on the Werq the World Tour in 2018. She is known for her high fashion looks, modeling experience, and innovative runway presentations. Aquaria is based out of New York City.
Kameron Michaels
Kameron Michaels competed on Season 10, making it to the final four with her muscular physique and unbelievable lip sync abilities. She is known as a lip sync assassin. Kameron is based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Naomi Smalls
Naomi Smalls competed on Season 8, finishing in the top 3. She is known for her incredibly long model legs and high fashion sense. Naomi is originally from California but now lives in Chicago. She has performed on the Werq the World Tour since 2018.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo competed on Season 10 and 11 of Drag Race. She became an instant fan favorite in Season 10 when she memorably walked backwards off the runway repeating her name “Miss Vanjie”. Vanessa is known for her comedic charm and infectious personality.
Yvie Oddly
Yvie Oddly won RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 with her unique avant-garde style and performance skills. Yvie often creates her own costumes featuring unusual shapes and prosthetics. She joined the Werq the World Tour in 2019 shortly after winning Drag Race.
Jaida Essence Hall
Jaida Essence Hall won Season 12 of Drag Race with her beauty, fashion sense, comedy and lip syncing talents. She is known for embodying excellence and being polished, yet versatile. Jaida is joining the Werq the World Tour for the first time in 2022.
Plastique Tiara
Plastique Tiara competed on Season 11 of Drag Race, wowing fans with her incredible makeup skills and ability to transform into perfect resemblance of pop stars like Ariana Grande. Plastique joins the 2022 Werq the World Tour after being featured in previous years.
Violet Chachki
Violet Chachki won Season 7 of Drag Race and was known as a burlesque performer. She has a vintage aesthetic and cinched waistline. Violet won Drag Race at age 22, making her one of the youngest winners. She brings her aerial skills to the Werq the World Tour stages.
What to Expect From the Show
The Werq the World show features each of the queens performing three solo or duet numbers that highlight their personal drag styles. There are also several big ensemble performance numbers choreographed to perfection with stunning costumes.
Some highlights of the show include:
- Showstopping opening and closing numbers with the whole cast
- Asia O’Hara performing with her famous butterflies
- Aquaria’s gravity-defying acrobatics and dance moves
- Naomi Smalls strutting the runway in her long-legged glamour
- Kameron Michaels’ unbelievable lip sync assassin skills
- Jaida Essence Hall’s beauty, comedy, and rapier wit
- Yvie Oddly’s bendy, twisty avant garde flexibility
- Plastique Tiara’s spot-on ariana grande transformation
- Vanessa Vanjie Mateo’s comedic charm and splits!
- Violet Chachki aerial burlesque from the ceiling
In between numbers, the queens interact with the audience and each other with their signature senses of humor and glamour. The show has a seamless flow from one fabulous queen’s feature to the next. Audiences can expect amazing costumes, dancing, comedy, singing, and surprises!
2022 Werq the World Tour Dates and Cities
The 2022 Werq the World Tour kicked off in Europe in March. The North American leg of the tour runs from August to October with stops in the following cities:
Date | City | Venue |
---|---|---|
August 31 | Toronto, ON | Meridian Hall |
September 1 | Detroit, MI | Fox Theatre |
September 2 | Columbus, OH | Palace Theatre |
September 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | Benedum Center |
September 6 | Baltimore, MD | The Lyric |
September 7 | Richmond, VA | Altria Theater |
September 8 | Philadelphia, PA | Merriam Theater |
September 9 | New York, NY | Beacon Theatre |
September 10 | Mashantucket, CT | Foxwoods Resort Casino |
September 13 | Boston, MA | The Orpheum Theatre |
September 15 | Washington, DC | MGM National Harbor Theater |
September 16 | Atlantic City, NJ | Borgata Event Center |
September 17 | Bethlehem, PA | Wind Creek Event Center |
September 20 | Nashville, TN | Andrew Jackson Hall |
September 22 | St. Petersburg, FL | Mahaffey Theater |
September 23 | Atlanta, GA | Cobb Energy Centre |
September 24 | Tampa, FL | Mahaffey Theater |
September 27 | Hollywood, FL | Hard Rock Live |
September 29 | New Orleans, LA | Saenger Theater |
September 30 | Austin, TX | Bass Concert Hall |
October 1 | Sugar Land, TX | Smart Financial Centre |
October 4 | San Antonio, TX | Majestic Theater |
October 6 | El Paso, TX | The Plaza Theater |
October 7 | Tempe, AZ | ASU Gammage |
October 11 | San Diego, CA | Balboa Theatre |
October 13 | Los Angeles, CA | Orpheum Theatre |
October 14 | San Francisco, CA | Golden Gate Theatre |
October 15 | San Jose, CA | San Jose Civic |
After wrapping up in the US in October, the tour heads to Europe and Australia. Tickets for all shows are available on the Werq the World website.
Conclusion
The Werq the World Tour brings together a star-studded lineup of talented queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race each year. Fans of the show flock to see their favorites perform live on stage in an extravagant production. The 2022 tour features winners Aquaria, Yvie Oddly, Jaida Essence Hall, and Violet Chachki, along with powerhouse performers Asia O’Hara, Kameron Michaels, Naomi Smalls, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, and Plastique Tiara. Audiences can expect stunning costumes, hilarious comedy, unbelievable dancing, and many surprises. The tour is visiting over 60 cities in the US, Canada, UK and Australia in 2022, so don’t miss your chance to werk it and see these queens live on stage!