Palmy Drag Fest 2026 Passes 70% Sold With Miss Vanjie's New Zealand DebutPalmerston North is preparing to welcome visitors from across Aotearoa this October as Palmy Drag Fest returns for its sixth year, with more than 70% of tickets already sold for what organisers are calling the festival’s biggest and boldest celebration yet. (Photo/Supplied)Headlining the festival is RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Miss Vanjie, who will make her first-ever appearance in New Zealand, performing exclusively at Palmy Drag Fest. “This is a huge moment not just for Palmy Drag Fest, but for New Zealand drag,” says Artistic Director Henrique Beirão, also known as Rhubarb Rouge. The Rainbow Fair returns to the Palmerston North Conference & Function Centre from 10am to 2pm, offering free entry thanks to Local Health. Palmy Drag Fest 2026 runs from 1–3 October, with the main show at the Regent on Broadway on Saturday 3 October.