'RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under' Season Three Will Sashay Into Your Streaming Queue in July

Permission to come aboard, captains: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under is back for 2023. Those first five words spring from RuPaul's very owb lips, not only announcing the show's return in July, but also unveiling this year's queens. Ten new fierce, fabulous, bright, bold and sassy competitors will sashay before the show's cameras for glory this winter, and showcase drag in Australia and New Zealand in the process.

"Australasian drag is filled with heart and humour, and I'm thrilled to share my season three queens with the world, for all to see their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent," said RuPaul.

From Friday, July 28 via Stan and TVNZ, seven Aussies and three New Zealanders will do their utmost to become the next Down Under Drag Race Superstar: Amyl, Hollywould Star and Ivory Glaze from Sydney; Melbourne's Ashley Madison, Bumpa Love and Isis Avis Loren; Gabriella Labucci from Ballarat; Auckland's Flor and Ivanna Drink; and Rita Menu from Hamilton.

Each will endeavour to follow in Kita Mean and Spankie Jackzon's footsteps — after Mean took RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under's first season and Jackzon did the honours in season two.

Obviously, the show's first go-around worked a charm. The second did as well. And, there's no doubt that the third will be, after the series was renewed for its latest run on Stan in Australia and TVNZ+ Aotearoa in 2022.

RuPaul is back on on hosting duties, of course. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, however, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean, Jackzon, and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner.

Before it made the leap Down Under in 2021, the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race had already been on the air for more than a decade, first premiering in 2009 — and wholeheartedly embracing its mission to unearth the next drag superstars ever since.

The original US series aired its 15th season earlier in 2023, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada.

Meet Drag Race Down Under's season three queens below:

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season three will stream via Stan and TVNZ from Friday, July 28.