The now annual Drag Queens on Ice event at the Union Square ice skating rink began way back in 2009 as a lark by Stud hostess VivvyAnne ForeverMore. The event, which will have its 11th go-round Thursday night, has now expanded and gained official sponsorship from Alaska Airlines — and like everything else in the drag world these days, it has a mainstream following.
Advance tickets that were put up for sale on Eventbrite have sold out, but reportedly there are a limited number of tickets available at the box office if you go early, and you can just wander by and spectate too. (There are, actually, still child's skating tickets available.) The event is officially from 8 to 10 p.m., but that is just the skating window — the queens will clear the ice and perform for 30-35 minutes of that time, so those who have skating tickets will have to watch from the sidelines during that time and not do any heckling.
Since launching the event here ten years ago, iterations of Drag Queens on Ice have popped up in Sacramento, Louisville (Kentucky), and more places.
Local queens Mutha Chucka and Sister Roma are usually in attendance, but the exact lineup of performers has not been announced. Local TV personality Liam Mayclem and drag impresario Donna Sachet will co-host. KTVU has some footage from last year's event below — and the anchor pronounces Donna's name like "hatchet" instead of like "sashay."
Safeway's Holiday Ice Rink at Union Square opened two weeks ago and will remain open through January 20.
One drag queen named Kylie-Pop returns each year to perform — and she's allegedly a three-time European World Figure Skating Champion. Below her performances from 2018 and 2015.