Drag — Fundraiser— Community
REIGNING SUPREME
On Friday, February 27, So You Think You Can Drag returned to The George for one magical evening of glamour, comedy and fundraising. With Davina Devine on hosting duties, nine phenomenal performers took the plunge and made their drag debuts, but only one could be crowned Mx GCN 2026.
It was a night of glitter, sequins and baby queens galore, as nine familiar faces from entertainment and the LGBTQ+ community gathered backstage, ready to release their inner drag divas to a packed crowd.
Na Gaeil Aeracha and Gaylinn’s Cian Griffin got the party started with a performance of CMAT’s EuroCountry, peppered with sizzling satire of Irish politicians. Next up, AerachAiteachGaelach’s Kevin Johnston served Sandra Dee realness with an Irish rendition of ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’. Social media star Sian Conway channelled her inner cowboy with a high energy Western-inspired performance. Poz Vibe Tribe’s Conor took us all the way to the Pink Pony Club with a Chappell Roan medley. Closing the first act was Trans and Intersex Pride’s Olly, whose drag persona, Dr Engie Ess, delivered a rousing critique of the state of trans healthcare in Ireland.
TV host and podcaster Fionnuala Jay made us feel very heated indeed with a steamy hockey-themed performance set to Britney. Glória LGBT+ Choir’s Ailish served witchy vibes with an Adams Family tribute. QueerHawk’s Thiago brought the spirit of Carnival to The George with a confetti-filled dance number. Finally, comedian Michael Fry, aka Buncrana del Rey, closed the show with an original song.
The performers gave it their all in a quest for victory before the winner was chosen by the crowd. Ultimately, the title of Mx GCN 2026 went to Buncrana and, at the end of the show, we got the chance to catch up with the newly crowned queen to see what’s next for this sultry diva.
Congratulations, Michael! First things first, what made you decide to try drag for the first time?
This year, because I’m not on tour, and I’m not doing the Fringe, I wanted to try some side quests and one of those was Dancing with the Stars in January, and then this came up, and I was like ‘Yeah, it’s the same thing, it’s a challenge!’ I really respect drag queens. I think they’re really good at what they do, getting craic out of people at 11am, and it’s a type of performance I’ve never really done, and I wanted to give it a go. It’s something new, and it’s for a good cause, it’s for GCN, and that’s a bonus.
Who is Buncrana Del Rey?
She’s Lana Del Rey, but she’s from Donegal. I chose the name before I decided what I was going to do. It was initially going to be about a boy racer, and then it was just a lot easier to write about a really old man.
How do you feel after being crowned Mx GCN 2026?
Unbelievable. I’ve never had a moment like that before. It’s crazy. I was eliminated first on Dancing with the Stars so it was nice to win a public vote for once. That felt pretty good. The standard was really high. Everyone looked amazing – I bought a dress on the internet and threw it on. It’s baffling that I came first, but it feels pretty good.
And finally, is this the last we’ll see of Buncrana Del Rey?
I don’t think it is! People obviously like it, so let’s keep going, you know what I mean? Let’s go again!
On behalf of everyone at GCN, we want to say a huge congrats to our winner, and a massive thank you to all our gorgeous contestants, our fabulous host Davina Devine, our sponsors The George and Absolut and everyone who attended and supported the event. We hope you all had an incredible night.