Red Carpet Realness
Werq the World 2025 turned Caesars Windsor into drag’s ultimate awards night with Jimbo, Daya Betty, Jaida Essence Hall, Jorgeous, Kim Chi, and Vanessa Vanjie serving red carpet glamour and unforgettable performances.
August 22, 2025
At Caesars Windsor
WINDSOR, Ontario
A Red Carpet Night to Remember
The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor sparkled on Friday, August 22, as the RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq The World Tour 2025 rolled into town for its highly anticipated stop. This year’s tour, themed as the ultimate drag awards show, brought red carpet glamour, high-octane performances, and larger-than-life personas to the Windsor stage. Hosted by Jimbo as Joan Rivers, the night featured dazzling turns by Daya Betty as Lady Gaga, Jaida Essence Hall as Beyoncé, Jorgeous as Ariana Grande, Kim Chi as Celine Dion, and Vanessa Vanjie as Rihanna.
Drag’s biggest night of the year takes center stage at Caesars Windsor.
Having personally photographed Werq the World multiple times since its 2018 Detroit stop, I’ve seen the tour evolve and grow into a full-blown drag spectacle — and Windsor’s 2025 edition may have been my favourite yet.
From the moment the queens hit the stage, the energy was electric. Each performance felt like a headline moment at an international award show, with fans screaming for every costume reveal and hair flip. Jimbo kept the pacing sharp with her razor-edged Joan Rivers comedy, while each queen embodied their musical icons to perfection — Jaida Essence Hall’s Beyoncé number had the crowd on their feet, and Kim Chi’s Celine Dion moment was pure camp magic.
What makes Werq the World so special is the way it blends the spectacle of drag with the intimacy of community — no matter how massive the production gets, it always feels like a love letter to the fans.
On a personal note, this tour is extra meaningful for me. Werq the World was the very first drag event I ever photographed, way back in 2018 at Motor City Casino’s Sound Board. Since then, I’ve followed it across Detroit, London, Toronto, and Windsor, capturing the queens in all their glory. To see it return this year with such a polished and playful awards theme — plus one of the strongest casts yet — was an absolute joy.
Special thanks goes out to Jimbo for organizing the backstage meet ’n’ greet and to the Caesars Windsor staff for the tickets that made this night possible. And yes — I left with an official tour t-shirt to add to my collection!
The Werq continues—until next year’s dazzling return.
Werq the World continues to raise the bar for drag tours, and Windsor’s stop proved why it remains the crown jewel of global drag entertainment. With its bold theme, powerhouse cast, and unforgettable energy, this was drag at its finest.
The red carpet may be rolled up for now, but one thing is certain: when Werq the World comes back, Windsor will be ready to welcome it all over again.
Photos and review by Kevin Blondin
Pride Legacy Begins
Toronto’s first-ever Pride Legacy Pageant brought eight dazzling queens to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for a night of unforgettable runway, talent, and storytelling. Meet the queens, watch the highlights, and see who took the crown.
June 19, 2025
At Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
TORONTO, Ontario
A New Tradition Is Born
Toronto’s Village just got a little more legendary. On Thursday, June 19th, the city welcomed the very first Pride Legacy Pageant—a vibrant, high-energy celebration of queer excellence presented by Vision Drag Artists and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. As part of the Buddies' Queer Pride 2025 Festival, this inaugural event set the stage for what’s bound to become a new cornerstone of Pride season in the 6ix.
Hosted by the ever-sparkling Lemon (Canada’s Drag Race S1 & Canada vs. The World winner) and judged by Toronto drag royalty Lucinda Miu and Tynomi Banks (Canada’s Drag Race S1 and CvsTW S2), the pageant brought together eight dazzling drag artists to compete across two categories—Runway and Talent—for a $1,000 cash prize and a coveted performance spot at Buddies’ Tallulah’s Pride Party.
Let’s dive into the legends in the making.
Table of Contents
Meet the Judges
Runway: Legendary Moments
Talent: Shock, Shine, and Showbiz
Crowned and Crown Worthy
Meet the Judges
Lemon kicked off the night with an electrifying performance, reminding the packed house why she’s considered one of Canada’s brightest drag exports. After hyping the crowd, she introduced the guest judges: Lucinda Miu, a queen known for her theatrical prowess, and Tynomi Banks, the high-kicking, high-fashion diva who brought glamour and gravitas to the panel.
Runway: Legendary Moments
Each contestant was tasked with creating a look inspired by a personal legendary moment. What followed was a deeply emotional and visually stunning showcase of drag as storytelling.
Sevynn stepped out cloaked in red velvet sequins to honour the resilience of the HIV/AIDS community, complete with a dramatic red ribbon collar and angelic headpiece.
Guy Anabella brought Caribbean excellence and queer pride together in a butterfly-inspired Caribana look, emerging as a symbol of joyful transformation.
Midas embodied her namesake with a golden goddess gown and a sobering nod to the myth that inspired her—reminding us that drag, too, is a blessing.
Love Masisi dazzled in upcycled orange materials from around the world, paying tribute to their personal journey from Haiti to Europe to Canada.
Betty Baker wore a glitter-splattered princess gown to honour her storytime protest-turned-community rally in Peterborough.
Molly Kewl gave us nostalgia and irreverence, mixing Y2K raver chaos, Spice Girls camp, and boxers for a wild gender-fluid fantasy.
Sahira became the fire itself in a self-made molten look that declared: this moment—right now—is their legacy.
Sucka Queen fluttered across the stage in a head-to-toe stoned butterfly ensemble, representing a hard-earned rebirth in full technicolour.
Talent: Shock, Shine, and Showbiz
After a mid-show performance from Lucinda Miu, the queens turned up the volume in the talent portion, and the crowd was living.
Sevynn stunned with a sultry, acrobatic pole performance alongside backup dancers.
Guy Anabella dropped her self-produced track “Pretty Girls are Strong” in a fierce dance number that ended with her literally lifting a giant weight—iconic.
Midas gave us tech-meets-glam, delivering a red-hot number featuring an X-ray iPad illusion that had the audience gagged.
Love Masisi broke the mold by singing live, their voice filling the room with soul and sincerity—no lipsync required.
Betty Baker performed a heartfelt drag storytime in a Dorothy costume, complete with her puppet pal Butch and a message of hope for queer families.
Molly Kewl got weird in the best way—serving a science-themed act with a side of plasma, proving that education can absolutely be fierce.
Sucka Queen took us under the sea with a Little Mermaid-inspired video number, and a wink to her fishiest fantasy.
Sahira delivered one of the night’s most unforgettable moments—a live painting performance that ended with a jaw-dropping reveal when she flipped the canvas upside down to reveal a portrait.
Tynomi Banks closed out the talent segment with a final performance that had everyone on their feet, sealing the night with diva energy and undeniable charisma.
Crowned and Crown Worthy
With the stage full and the energy sky-high, the judges called all eight contestants back out to announce the final results.
Midas was named runner-up, a well-deserved honour after her tech-savvy, visually striking performances.
But it was Guy Anabella who soared the highest—crowned the first-ever winner of the Pride Legacy Pageant, proving that her butterfly moment was more than a metaphor. It was destiny.
A Future Worth Celebrating
The Pride Legacy Pageant wasn’t just a pageant—it was a love letter to Toronto’s drag history and a toast to its future. In one night, we saw resilience, rebellion, reinvention, and raw talent take the stage under one shared spotlight.
With support from Vision Drag Artists, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and sponsors like Absolut, this event has set a powerful precedent. And judging by the queens we met and the stories they told, we’re not just witnessing the beginning of a pageant—we’re witnessing the birth of a legacy.
Photos and review by Kevin Blondin