Drag shows in London: the nights, the brunches and the late ones

Drag in London splits cleanly into three things that share a word and almost nothing else: the brunches, which are daytime, boozy and booked weeks ahead; the cabaret and variety nights, which are the actual circuit; and the big touring shows, which are theatre and priced like it.

Knowing which one you are buying is most of the work, because the reviews for one are regularly written by someone who wanted another.

Drag brunch in London

The most booked and the least understood. A drag brunch is a fixed sitting, usually two hours, usually on a Saturday or Sunday, with a set menu and often a bottomless drinks package. The performance runs through the meal rather than after it, and the room is loud by design.

They sell out further ahead than the evening shows, which surprises people, and the package is where the money goes: the ticket price and the final bill are rarely the same number. Check whether the drinks package is included, timed, or extra, because all three exist and the listings do not always distinguish. Bottomless brunch covers the wider category and how the timed packages work.

The evening circuit

The cabaret and variety rooms are where the regular nights are, and they overlap almost completely with the burlesque circuit: same venues, frequently the same bills, often the same audiences. Soho, Vauxhall, Bethnal Green and Hackney hold most of it.

Most of these are ticketed in advance but not expensive, and several rooms run a free or pay what you want night midweek. Our cabaret guide covers the rooms themselves and their door times.

The late ones

A good deal of the drag circuit runs past midnight, particularly at the weekend, and the club nights attached to them go considerably later. After dark lists what is still running past midnight on any given night, and the Night Tube is what makes the eastern and southern venues workable on a Friday or Saturday.

Booking, doors and what to expect

Brunches: book weeks ahead, arrive on time because the sitting is fixed, and expect to be moved on at the end of the slot. Evening shows: book in the week, and door times are real because latecomers are often held until a break.

Most evening rooms are over 18s with identification checked. Photography rules vary and are usually stated at the door; where they are restricted it is a performer safety matter and it is enforced. Tipping performers is normal at the smaller nights and cash is still the practical way to do it.

What is on

Tonight and this weekend carry the checked listings for the cabaret and variety rooms, with prices and door times where the venue publishes them.