The queens, kings, and emcees behind Drag-A-Thon didn’t just break the previous record for the world’s longest drag artist stage show.
They obliterated it.
The marathon performance started at 4 p.m. on Monday, July 10, at Darcelle XV Showplace in Old Town — just months after the death of the carbaret’s founder and namesake. For the next 48 hours, 11 minutes, and 30 seconds, 120 participants kept the party going with the help of 2,500+ attendees. RuPaul, Fred Armisen, and Jamie Lee Curtis got in on the action. A Guinness World Record official certified the accomplishment on Wednesday afternoon. (The previous record was 36 hours and change.)
Claiming the title wasn’t Drag-A-Thon’s sole objective. With the help of Portland-based queer apparel company Wildfang, Darcelle’s raised $285,000 for The Trevor Project — an organization working to support LGBTQ+ youth.
Wildfang CEO Emma McIlroy called the show “a historic testament to the power of self-expression” and praised Portland as the only city in the world where such a feat could be accomplished.
