RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 Shatters Records: Cardi B, Vegas Residencies, and Empire Expansion

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RuPaul here, and the past few days have been all about proving that at 65, my heels are still firmly on the neck of pop culture. According to Out Magazine and That Grape Juice, the season 18 premiere of RuPauls Drag Race on MTV just delivered the highest rated premiere in the shows history, with a Cardi B guest judge moment that turned a routine first episode into a bona fide television event. Those outlets report the premiere was the number one cable entertainment telecast of the day in the key 18 to 49 demo and also the most social episode on television that night, racking up tens of millions of views and over a million engagements across platforms. In plain English, that means the franchise I launched back in 2009 is not slowing down it is accelerating, which is a very big long term line in my eventual biography.

The business ripple effect has been immediate. Local bars from Norwalk, Connecticut, where Patch is promoting a weekly RuPauls Drag Race 2026 watch party at Troupe429, to venues like Red Bear Brewing in Washington DC, as listed on their events calendar, are marketing Drag Race viewing nights as anchor events, effectively using my name and show as weekly nightlife infrastructure. Ticketmaster listings for RuPauls Drag Race Live in Las Vegas at the Flamingo showroom show that the Vegas residency machine built on the Drag Race brand is still alive and kicking with new 2026 dates, keeping the live component of the empire in steady motion. Eventbrite is pushing Drag Race themed appearances and viewing parties, including a Season 18 related show with contestant Briar Blush in Sacramento, underscoring how quickly new talent from my show converts into touring product.

Parade recently revisited my net worth and earnings from Drag Race, music, real estate, and the House of Love canned cocktail line, emphasizing that my producer credits and ownership stakes, not just my on camera salary, are what cement me as a long term entertainment mogul. A more skeptical note comes from entertainment commentary in places like The A V Club, which is already asking if 2026 might be the year of Drag Race fatigue even as the ratings say otherwise. There are the usual unconfirmed fan whispers on social media about future spinoffs and possible new international editions, but as of now those are speculation, not backed by any major outlet. What is verified is this headline energy RuPauls Drag Race Season 18 breaks all time ratings records with Cardi B premiere, proving that the Queen of Drag is still in expansion mode, not nostalgia.

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