Six-inch heels, feather boas, Dolly Parton hair, and at least one warbly rendition of Jolene — it’s arguably difficult to find a better night out than a drag queen show. 

A drag king show, however, is a little more difficult to find. But Buenos Aires never disappoints and we are here to point you in the right direction. 

The Carrera de Reyes contest is a drag king competition set to take place on Saturday, November 16 in the Tano Cabrón cultural center in Abasto. Drag kings will pit their talents against each other with only one being crowned Rey de la Resurreción — King of Resurrection.

Competition co-founder Armando A. Bruno explained to the Herald that drag is an artistic expression and investigation of gender and identity. He views it as a means of questioning and exploring gender in its totality, not just within the common context of masculinity and femininity.

Just as drag queens tend to emphasize feminine gender qualities, drag kings play on male gender stereotypes, Bruno said. This includes common understandings about masculinity in regards to what it means to be a man, and what men are and aren’t allowed to do.

The November show will be the fourth for the small team. They began the competition in 2018 in an effort to connect with others involved in the drag king scene. Although the organizers had originally ended the event in 2022, they decided to bering it back after seeing a recent uptick in the local drag king community. 

This year’s competition is appropriately titled “The Resurrection of the King.”

Bruno elaborated on how the competition has developed over the years, and the steep learning curve of trial and error. He laughed at how they had no idea how to put together a drag show in the beginning, so they attended other drag events and watched drag programs to get a sense of how it was done.

Carrera de Reyes offers two categories — “Best Trick” which is open to all types of drag, and “For the Crown” which is exclusively for drag kings. The former, which focuses on costume and stage presence, is a space created particularly for those who are newer to drag. The latter is a more competitive grouping that includes a preliminary selection and a grueling lip-sync duel between the two best contestants of the night.

While drag events will sometimes have drag king involvement, Carrera de Reyes is one of the few spaces in Buenos Aires that spotlights primarily drag kings. And while the local drag scene is still relatively avant-garde, Bruno commented that’s it come a long way since it first began. He emphasized how there’s much more cultural acceptance today, with mainstream drag icons and legal frameworks.

When asked what to expect from the competition, Bruno described the show as dynamic, adding that the performers are there because they’re having a good time and want to bring that energy to the audience.