Drag Shows in Houston: The 2026 Guide
Where to see drag shows in Houston — The Broad's Way and Laugh Track at Michael's Outpost, Basura at Ripcord on Monday nights, Thursday drag bingo at Pearl, and what's on each night.
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Houston's weekly drag runs mostly on Monday and Thursday. Michael's Outpost on Richmond Avenue has two weekly drag shows, The Broad's Way on Monday and Laugh Track on Thursday. Ripcord on Fairview Street hosts Basura, a late Monday-night show, and Pearl Bar on Washington Avenue runs drag bingo on Thursdays.
This guide covers each one, with nights, showtimes, hosts and cover as the venues publish them. We have only included shows a venue or its performers have posted recently. For daytime drag, see our companion guide to drag brunch in Houston.
What to know before you go
- Monday and Thursday are the drag nights. Michael's Outpost and Ripcord both have Monday shows, and Michael's Outpost and Pearl both have something on Thursday.
- Ripcord has no cover. Its Instagram bio lists "NO DRESS CODE & NO COVER." Michael's Outpost and Pearl do not publish a cover for their drag nights.
- Shows run late. Basura at Ripcord starts around 11 PM; the Michael's Outpost shows run from 9 PM to 11:30 PM.
- Check Instagram. Ripcord and Basura post their lineups on Instagram, and Pearl posts a weekly flyer there.
Pro Tip
Monday and Thursday each have two options. On Monday, The Broad's Way at Michael's Outpost runs from 9 PM to 11:30 PM, and Basura at Ripcord starts around 11 PM. On Thursday, choose between Laugh Track at Michael's Outpost (9 PM) and drag bingo at Pearl (9 PM).
What's on in Houston
Live from our events calendar — updated daily.
Where to see drag shows in Houston
Michael's Outpost — Richmond Avenue
1419 Richmond Ave, Houston · The Broad's Way on Mondays, Laugh Track on Thursdays
Michael's Outpost runs piano nights alongside its shows, and its about page says it features "professional drag entertainers 4 nights a week." Two of its weekly shows are billed as drag. The Broad's Way on Monday promises "Drag Queens, Kings, and some of Houston's finest vocal talents," hosted by Regina Thorne-Dubois. Laugh Track on Thursday is hosted by Carmina Vavra, whom the venue calls its "resident Drag Queen and cast member." Both run from 9 PM to 11:30 PM. The bar's other shows, EyeCons (a celebrity impersonation revue) on Saturdays and Modern Nostalgia on Fridays, both at 7:30 PM, are not billed as drag. Michael's Outpost does not publish a cover or age rule.
- Monday, 9 PM to 11:30 PM — The Broad's Way with Regina Thorne-Dubois
- Thursday, 9 PM to 11:30 PM — Laugh Track with Carmina Vavra
Schedule last updated October 22, 2026. Details at michaelsoutpost.com.
Ripcord — Fairview Street
715 Fairview St, Houston · Basura on Mondays, no cover
Ripcord is a bar on Fairview Street whose Instagram bio lists "NO DRESS CODE & NO COVER." Its Monday drag show, Basura, bills itself as a "Weekly drag show of chaos… every MONDAY at @ripcordbar." The show's bio gives 10:30 PM, while its recent posts give showtime at 11 PM, so plan on a late start. The October 19 edition was hosted by Luna of the Lilies and Annalee Naylor.
Ripcord has also been hosting CUTTHROAT, a nine-week Wednesday drag competition hosted by Hanna Santanna that began on September 2, at 10 PM with no cover and a $1,000 grand prize. The venue has not published the finale date, so check its Instagram.
- Monday, late (the bio says 10:30 PM; recent posts say 11 PM) — Basura, no cover
- Wednesday, 10 PM, through the end of its run — CUTTHROAT drag competition with Hanna Santanna, no cover
Schedule last updated October 22, 2026. See Basura on Instagram.
Pearl Bar — Washington Avenue
2811 Washington Ave, Houston · Drag bingo on Thursdays
Pearl Bar's Thursday runs "Steak Night at 6pm, followed by Drag Bingo at 9pm and Dildo Races at 10:30pm…" Pearl does not publish a cover for Thursdays, and it takes table reservations by text at 281-757-3229. On Tuesdays it also runs Queen Karaoke at 9 PM with Nyxx Laraye, which the bar does not bill as a drag show.
- Thursday, 9 PM — Drag Bingo
Schedule last updated October 22, 2026. Details at pearlhouston.com.
Houston's drag show venues at a glance:
Michael's Outpost, Houston
Houston, Texas
RIPCORD, Houston
Houston, Texas
Pearl Bar, Houston
Houston, Texas
More drag around Houston
These venues are either not in our venue directory yet or do not publish a current schedule, so check their own pages before you go.
- JR's Bar & Grill — 808 Pacific St. Its website still lists So You Think You Can Drag on Thursdays at 11 PM, hosted by Kofi, and a Super Sunday Drag Show at 11 PM, but its recent Instagram posts promote Sunday karaoke and don't mention the drag shows. JR's says there is never a cover and it is 21+. Check JR's on Instagram before you go.
- Diva Royale — a celebrity-impersonation drag show whose Houston page lists Friday and Saturday dinner shows at 7 PM and weekend brunch shows at 1:30 PM, 18+. Shows are at 809 Congress Street; confirm a date before you go. Details at divaroyale.com.
See What's On Tonight in Houston
Live drag show dates and the rest of Houston's gay calendar, updated as the venues publish them, on Out x Out.
Drag in Houston by night of the week
- Monday: The Broad's Way at Michael's Outpost, 9 PM; Basura at Ripcord, late (10:30 PM or 11 PM).
- Wednesday: CUTTHROAT at Ripcord, 10 PM, while its run lasts.
- Thursday: Laugh Track at Michael's Outpost, 9 PM; Drag Bingo at Pearl, 9 PM.
- Sunday: Sunday Service drag brunch at The Montrose Country Club, 11 AM and 1 PM (see the drag brunch guide).
What to expect at a Houston drag show
At Michael's Outpost, the drag shows run for two and a half hours, from 9 PM to 11:30 PM, with a host and a rotating cast; The Broad's Way leans on singers, while Laugh Track is billed as a comedy showcase, and both bill drag queens and kings. Ripcord's Basura is a late show with no cover and no dress code. At Pearl, drag bingo sits in the middle of the bar's Thursday night, between Steak Night at 6 PM and the 10:30 PM races.
Big weekends
Plan ahead around Houston Pride; our Houston Pride 2026 guide covers this year's Pride.
Where to stay
Michael's Outpost is on Richmond Avenue, Ripcord is on Fairview Street, and Pearl Bar is on Washington Avenue. For hotels, see our guide to Gay Friendly hotels in Houston.
For the rest of the trip, see our LGBTQ+ guide to Houston, the best gay bars in Houston, and the daytime side in drag brunch in Houston.
Where can I see a drag show in Houston?
Michael's Outpost on Richmond Avenue runs The Broad's Way on Mondays and Laugh Track on Thursdays, both 9 PM to 11:30 PM. Ripcord on Fairview Street hosts Basura on Monday nights, and Pearl Bar runs drag bingo on Thursdays at 9 PM.
Is there a free drag show in Houston?
Ripcord lists no cover, so Basura on Mondays is free to get into. Michael's Outpost and Pearl do not publish a cover for their drag nights.
What night is drag in Houston?
Mostly Monday and Thursday, plus CUTTHROAT at Ripcord on Wednesdays while its run lasts. Monday has The Broad's Way at Michael's Outpost and Basura at Ripcord; Thursday has Laugh Track at Michael's Outpost and drag bingo at Pearl.
Are drag shows in Houston 21+?
The venues on this list do not publish an age rule for their drag nights, apart from JR's (21+), Diva Royale (18+) and The Montrose Country Club's Sunday brunch (recommended 18+). Bring ID.
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Robbie S.
I'm Robbie, the founder of Out x Out. I'm from Minneapolis, though I'm spending 2026 building this community from the road — somewhere between South America and Asia. The idea for Out x Out came from a trip to Berlin, where the gay nightlife calendar was years ahead of ours: you could see not just where to go out, but which night to go — so naturally I wanted that kind of insider info for every city in the US (and beyond... eventually). I'm more of a behind-the-scenes type, but the whole point of this is connection: I'd take one real one over a hundred surface-level ones, and I'm trying to build that for the community, city by city.
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