23 competitors, but only one winner can join the Continental Court.
Miss Continental 2026 on The Riviera Theater marquee; Miss Continental 2025 winner Raquell Cuffee.Continental PageantryMiss Continental, the most prestigious drag queen pageant in the world, takes place every year during Labor Day weekend — and the time has come for this star-making pageantry system to crown a new winner who'll enter the Continental Court.
The Miss Continental 2026 edition was held on two separate nights. First, a "Preliminary Competition" with 23 contestants on Sunday, August 31. Then, a "Final Night" competition for the 12 qualifying finalists on Monday, September 1. The actual pageant takes place in Chicago, Illinois, but fans everywhere can watch the event from home.
The Continental system has propelled winners like Candis Cayne, Jazell Barbie Royale, Mimi Marks, Tandi, Erica Andrews, Tandi Andrews, and Cherine Alexander — to name a few — into superstardom. This pageant system is also responsible for the legendary careers that queens like Sasha Colby, Brooke Lynn Hytes, and Naysha Lopez had prior to even competing on RuPaul's Drag Race. Over the years, those three queens have credited Continental for taking their careers to new heights — which prepared them to level-up yet again after Drag Race.
Miss Continental 2025 winner Raquell Cuffee will ends her reign with a step-down appearance and the crowning of a new titleholder on Monday, September 1.
Fans everywhere can watch the Miss Continental Pageant 2026 "Final Night" event livestream on Monday, September 1, by purchasing a virtual-access ticket via PromoTix.
Meet the queens competing on Miss Continental 2026 — and how to follow them on Instagram — below. For more information about the event, visit ContinentalPageantry.com.
Nicki Sweets McCall
Facebook: @jayjay2017
