In belted lemon bodysuits and blonde wigs, Nordika the Queen and The Vilita lip-synch and high-kick their way across a stage as Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s ‘Rain on Me’ blasts in the background. This video clip from 2020’s Tallinn Pride party marks the Estonia-based drag duo’s first performance. Since then, they’ve collectively totted up around 3,500 Instagram followers and are navigating a diary full of paid events as a burgeoning drag scene takes off in the Estonian capital.
In some parts of the world, drag has been a cultural staple for centuries, beginning in theatres before becoming commonplace in pubs, bars and, lately, on almost every TV channel or streaming service. “We tend to think it is a recent phenomenon that must have originated in the past 30 years, but it’s been going for a long time,” says Dr Mark Edward, reader in creative arts at Lancashire’s Edge Hill University and a drag performer since 1988.
Although drag had a moment in Estonia in the 90s, it quickly subsided, explains 30-year-old drag queen Nordika from her home in Tallinn.
Back then, there had been underground parties and drag artists that were quite active, but they suddenly stopped, says Vilita. The 2010 closure of Club Angel, one of Tallinn’s only gay-friendly venues, which hosted occasional drag performances, could have been a
