Drag Race France season 4 viewing parties have turned into a major summer attraction across Paris, drawing hundreds of fans to weekly live episode screenings.
The French reality competition show, which began broadcasting its fourth season on France Télévisions on Thursday, July 9, 2026, has sparked a widespread cultural gathering. Every week, drag queens host public watch parties in bars, clubs, and cultural venues to celebrate each new episode release.
Adapted from the American franchise created by RuPaul, Drag Race France combines artistic competition with reality television as drag performers compete for the title of top queen. Viewing parties have long served as a vital community tradition in drag culture, offering fans an opportunity to experience televised episodes collectively alongside live entertainment, theatrical shows, and prize giveaways.
At Ground Control, an independent cultural venue located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, two Season 4 contestants, Margarette and La Harpie, host their own weekly viewing event named Beach Club. Behind two large black curtains near the back of the venue, pop music plays as a crowd of nearly 200 people gathers in front of the stage to watch Episode 5 of the new season.
Before the screening begins, audience members fill the space with lively debate over previous episodes. Among them is Marie, a 35-year-old attendee returning for her third viewing party. Although Marie does not belong to the LGBTQIA+ community and only discovered drag art this year through her cousin, she has become an avid follower of the show.
Marie explained that she had only heard about the program prior to this season but had never watched it. She said she was drawn to the show by its creative play with gender stereotypes. Despite Margarette having already been eliminated from the competition, Marie named her as her favorite candidate of the season and expressed plans to attend additional viewing parties across the French capital.
As the venue lights dim, Margarette and La Harpie enter hand in hand from behind the audience. Margarette arrived wearing a purple bodysuit, high heels, and a matching purple veil draped over her wig. La Harpie wore a khaki bodysuit paired with an oversized aviator jacket, a military cap, and a glass of white wine in her right hand.
Taking the stage, Margarette greeted the cheering crowd and asked how many attendees had already seen the evening episode. After several hands went up in the room, La Harpie noted after the performance that having viewers who already knew the outcome reduced pressure on the hosts. Because contestants are not granted advance access to episodes prior to broadcast, the hosts must digest the results at the same time as the audience.
Drag Race France Girls Band Challenge
La Harpie, who remains active in the competition, initiated the screening as the show's iconic theme song echoed through Ground Control. The audience sang along in unison and applauded whenever La Harpie appeared on screen. Episode 5 featured the popular Girls Band challenge, requiring the six remaining drag queens to divide into two teams of three.
To complete the challenge, each trio was tasked with writing original song lyrics, recording the track, choreographing a routine, and designing matching stage costumes. Throughout the broadcast, spectators laughed at blunders and cheered successful moments, while Margarette and La Harpie offered witty commentary on fellow contestants and shared insider stories from filming.
The episode concluded with the elimination of Fluffy Bidule, a contestant widely regarded as one of the season favorites. The unexpected departure drew gasps from the crowd, with Marie describing the outcome as a major disappointment.
Drag Show Performances and Lip Syncs
Following the screening, organizers distributed complimentary bottles of lemonade provided by a sponsor to help the audience recover from the emotional elimination. The event then transitioned into a series of live drag performances, beginning with guest performer Hego Scorpion. The drag creator delivered a burlesque striptease routine in a handmade costume during an ongoing summer heatwave.
Hego Scorpion designed La Harpie's outfit for the Beach Club event as well as several garments featured on Drag Race France. Margarette followed with a humorous lip sync performance while wearing a distinct wig inspired by the cover of Belgian singer Lio's 1980 pop album Pop Model. Margarette later admitted she had initially worried that audiences might misinterpret her drag style, but said she was delighted by the warm reception she received.
La Harpie closed the stage show wearing a purple bathrobe and a red wig topped with an ashtray, delivering an emotional performance centered on parent and child relationships. She explained after the show that creating Beach Club with Margarette felt natural after the pair formed a close friendship during filming.
Although La Harpie had little prior experience hosting drag events, she praised Beach Club for blending professional production with a warm, welcoming environment. Margarette added that while she loved seeing curious newcomers discover drag at large watch parties, she encouraged fans to also support smaller local drag shows to experience the core essence of the art form. The event concluded with the hosts joining a DJ set by drag queen Brigitte Pintade, who played a remix of Parfaite, a song recorded by La Harpie's show group Palace Pétasses.
