Stilettoed skirmish _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Sequins, sparkles, and staggering stilettos clash in the ultimate search for stardom this May. On the 31^st, at Ivy Bar & Cabaret, six divas will take to the stage, baring their scintillating smiles and sharply choreographed steps in the hopes of taking home the crown at the Mx Capital Drag 2026 Finale.  

After months of knockout battles to the death-drop, the finale unfolds across three rounds, each testing a different side of drag. Here, in these last throes of perfection, performance, presentation, and pressure are everything.

“It pushed me and my overall drag to be more practical, clean, detailed, and unapologetically my own,” current reigning Mx Capital Faux Femm says, adding that it was surreal to compete alongside drag titans they looked up to. “I was incredibly lucky to be in a room filled with my community cheering and celebrating with me”.

Expect a night of high-energy performances, thought-provoking drag, and contestants putting everything on the line. Competing for this year’s title are Myrtle Montgomery, Dame Jthan, Slay West, Deliria Hevelius, Blink Bogan, and Maria Richman.

The stakes are real, with the winner representing the community both on and off the stage.

“I find that the Mx Capital crown often is the affirmation that you are and continue to be a community leader”, Faux Femm says. “I think winning gave me confidence in myself and my drag to continue with what I was already doing. This year’s contestants are incredibly talented, and I am super excited to see who takes the title for Wellington’s longest-running drag competition”.