The Queens of Garlands
Who's who on the stage of Blackpool's daily drag bar on Talbot Road, from the weekly hosts to the guest cabaret stars.
Drag every day, no cover charge
Garlands, at 69-71 Talbot Road near Blackpool North station, is the place to go if you want drag without booking a ticket. There is a resident queen on from mid-afternoon every day, guest cabaret acts several times a week, and no cover charge. The bar runs a rota of around ten resident drag DJs and three live cabaret spots a week, and it opens until 2am or 3am. The room itself is part of the fun, done out in a camp Wizard of Oz style, and it gets packed on cabaret nights, so arrive early if you want a seat.
The format differs from a theatre show. A Garlands queen is a drag DJ and host: she plays the music, chats to the room, runs singalongs and games, and hands over to a guest act for a live cabaret set. It is relaxed, cheap and very Blackpool.
The weekly line-up
Garlands' own listings for the regular week run like this:
- Monday: Shazza and Bonnie.
- Tuesday: Shazza's Singalong, then Bonnie La Blue's Big Camp Gameshow.
- Wednesday: guest cabaret with Bunny Hopps and Missie Jay.
- Thursday: Aariella Galore and Dragalicious.
- Friday: Dragalicious and Campy Galore.
- Saturday: Bunny Hopps, Andi Martine and Campy Galore.
- Sunday: guest cabaret with Campy Galore and Bernie De Bra, plus the Lucy Fur Comedy Drag Show.
Rotas change, so check the venue's what's-on page for the current week. Times and prices can change, so check before you go.
The residents
Campy Galore is one of the busiest names at Garlands, hosting Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and introducing the evening cabaret.
Bonnie La Blue is the Monday and Tuesday host, and the queen behind the Big Camp Gameshow on Tuesdays: daft games, prizes and audience volunteers. She hosted afternoons at Garlands across the 2025 Rainbow Weekend and also played the Flying Handbag that weekend.
Shazza runs Monday nights with Bonnie and fronts Shazza's Singalong on Tuesdays. In 2024 a Shazza Fierce was part of the Monday line-up.
Dragalicious is a regular on Thursdays and Fridays, and has been in the Garlands line-up since at least 2024.
Aariella Galore shares Thursday nights with Dragalicious.
Bunny Hopps hosts guest cabaret on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Andi Martine works Saturday nights and hosted the Saturday afternoon during the 2025 Rainbow Weekend.
Missie Jay co-hosts Wednesday cabaret, and was on the Sunday line-up in 2024.
Bernie De Bra hosts Sunday cabaret with Campy Galore, and appeared on the Wednesday rota in 2024.
Lucy Fur fronts a Sunday comedy drag show.
Guest cabaret stars
Garlands' guest slots bring in acts from across the north. Names who have topped the bill include:
- Wolfy, billed as the King of Canal Street, who played Monday nights in 2024 and a Friday cabaret during the 2025 Rainbow Weekend.
- Pam Sandwich, Saturday cabaret during the 2025 Rainbow Weekend.
- Miss Bella End, Sunday cabaret during the 2025 Rainbow Weekend.
- Tina Tuna, who hosted a TFI Friday pay-day special in 2024.
- Miss Cherry Good and Betty Bangs, who led a Hawaiian luau party show in 2024.
- Marigold Addams, the Cher and Jane McDonald tribute queen, on the Sunday line-up in 2024. See her profile.
- Aunty Ginger, Marie La Rae, Annabelle Lecter, Miss Lightening and Izzy Wurfit, all part of the 2024 rota.
- Live singers including Johnny Wright, Fran Collins and Chloe Byrnes, who played afternoon cabaret during the 2025 Rainbow Weekend.
Tips
- Garlands is free to get in, so tipping the queens and buying a drink is how the night pays for itself. See our drag etiquette page.
- Bank holiday Sundays often bring themed beach parties, such as tiki or luau nights, which raise money for Pride.
- It is a short walk from the station, which makes it a handy first stop if you've just arrived.