Another year and another set of 14 fabulous queens ready to head into the Werk Room as they aim to become 'America's Next Drag Superstar'. That's right, RuPaul's Drag Race is back for season 17. Standby for fabulous outfits, plenty of lipsyncing and just enough bitchiness to keep us all gripped.
You can watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 in the US on MTV and without cable via various OTT streaming services. But don't worry if you're traveling while it's on, because you can watch RuPaul's Drag Race from anywhere with a VPN.
Season premiere date: Friday, January 3
US: MTV (via Sling/FuboTV)
UK: Wow Presents Plus
AU: Stan
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
Queen of drag RuPaul is set to be joined on the judging panel by regular sidekicks Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison. There's the usual host of celeb judges too, not least Katy Perry, who appears in the season opener. There also singers Sam Smith and Adam Lambert, rapper Doechii, comedian Whitney Cummings and actor Qunita Brunson (Abbott Elementary).
You may think you know the format, but this year a new quirk has been added. The queen eliminated following the lipsync can gain immunity via The Badonka Dunk Tank. There are 10 levers, and if the in-danger performer pulls the one that sends Michelle Visage swimming they will be saved. The tension is real!
If all that wasn't enough, the competition is set to be feistier and fiercer than ever before. RuPaul herself handpicked contestant Hormona Lisa, while Arrietty is the drag daughter of Irene (The Alien) from season 15. There's plenty of other talent amongst the queens too, including TikTok star Kori King.
Start your engines, ladies! Here's how to watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 from anywhere in the world. Read on to get all the information you'll need below, together with a full list of this year's competitors and confirmed guest judges.
How to watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 in the US
MTV has been the home of RuPaul's Drag Race since last year, and season 17 is being shown there again this year.
RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 premieres on Friday, January 3, with episodes then going out on the same day at at 8/7c every week.
Most cable packages carry MTV, but so do most OTT live TV streaming services for cord cutters. You can access MTV through Sling TV, for example. Plans start at $45.99 per month (with your first month discounted) and then you'll need the Entertainment Extra add-on for just another $6 per month.
FuboTV is a more expensive (starting at $74.99 per month) but much more comprehensive service, offering MTV and over 150 other channels even on its most basic plan. Plus, there's a 7-day free trial.
How to watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 in the UK
UK-based RuPaul fans can watch the US version of Drag Race using Wow Presents Plus. Episodes drop on Saturdays.
Episode 1 will be available to stream for free on the platform on Saturday, 4 January. But for the remaining episodes, you'll need a subscription to Wow Presents Plus, which will cost you £5.99 a month or £59.99 annually.
A subscription will get you access to season 16 and back catalog, together with loads more Drag Race iterations from around the globe – though not the UK version, which streams free on BBC iPlayer.
You can watch Wow Presents Plus on loads of devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android devices, Xbox One consoles and select Samsung smart TVs.
How to watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 in Australia
The Stan streaming service is once again the place to watch the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race if you're Down Under. Season 17 will start streaming there on Saturday, January 4.
Stan plans range from $12 to $22 per month a month.
How to watch RuPaul's Drag Race from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 on any of streaming services listed above by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world, for example if you're away on vacation.
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the no. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar. There's a helpful guide to the best VPN services on TechRadar if you'd like a deeper read.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What is the RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 release date?
RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 will hit US screens on Friday, January 3, 2025.
In the UK and Australia, the season premieres on Saturday, January 4.
All you need to know about RuPaul's Drag Race season 17
Is there a RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 trailer?
The RuPaul's Drag Race trailer gives a taste of what's still to come in season 17:
Who are the contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race season 17?
Acacia Forgot, 28, from Los Angeles, California
Arrietty, 28, from Seattle, Washington
Crystal Envy, 27, from Asbury Park, New Jersey
Hormona Lisa, 30, from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Jewels Sparkles, 23, from Tampa, Florida
Joella, 25, from Los Angeles, California
Kori King, 25, from Boston, Massachusetts
Lana Ja'Rae, 22, from New York City, New York
Lexi Love, 34, from Louisville, Kentucky
Lucky Starzzz, 26, from Miami, Florida
Lydia B Kollins, 23, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Onya Nurve, 31, from Cleveland, Ohio
Sam Star, 24, from Leeds, Alabama
Suzie Toot, 24, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Who are the judges on RuPaul's Drag Race season 17?
Along with the 'Queen of Drag' RuPaul, the usual cast of regular judges return for season 17: Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison.
Theere's also a collection of celebrity guest judges to help out the regulars:
Katy Perry
Doechii
Sandra Bernhard
Julia Schlaepfer
Paul W. Downs
Hunter Schafer
Quinta Brunson
Jamal Sims
Law Roach
Adam Lambert
Betsey Johnson
Whitney Cummings
Sam Smith
Jerrod Carmichael
June Diane Raphael
Tracee Ellis Ross
What is RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked?
Untucked is the companion show to RuPaul's Drag Race in the US, which goes "behind the scenes with this season's queens for all the drama, shade and laughter you didn't see on the runway as the queens anxiously await their fates on this beloved backstage series".
For season 17, Untucked goes out on MTV directly after each episode of Drag Race.
