It’s time to get fierce again, as 11 of the most iconic contestants from the Drag Race franchise go head-to-head for season 2 of the spin-off show, RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World.
Featuring queens from the UK, US, Europe and beyond, there’s a huge £50,000 (about $63,000) grand prize for this season’s overall winner.
Among those looking to emulate season 1 champion Blu Hydrangea are the UK’s Choriza May and Tia Kofi, Drag Race España’s Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha and Australia’s Hannah Conda. The US is represented by fan favorites Scarlett Envy and Mayhem Miller.
We’re also promised myriad guest judges alongside the competing queens, host RuPaul and regular judges Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr. They include actor Richard E. Grant, Strictly Come Dancing’s Motsi Mabuse and Team GB Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley.
Below, we’ll outline the places to watch the show live, wherever you are in the world.
RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World season 2 release dates
Season 2 premieres in the UK on free-to-air linear channel BBC Three from Friday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. GMT as well as the network’s streaming service iPlayer shortly after. In the US, the show will be available to stream via WOW Presents Plus at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT). The remaining installments of the eight-episode series will be released on a weekly basis each Sunday, with the final episode released on March 29.
How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World online anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the show locally, you may need a different way to watch — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the show. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream content is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 a month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 35% — the equivalent of $8.32 a month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to livestream RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World season 2 for free in the UK
Drag Race fans in the UK can watch season 2 for free via terrestrial channel BBC Three and the BBC’s on-demand streaming service iPlayer.
The opening episode will be broadcast at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) on Friday, Feb. 9, with new episodes airing at the same time each week from then on.
With the show being broadcast on BBC Three, that means you’ll also be able to watch it online for free via the network’s on-demand streaming service, BBC iPlayer.
With an app that’s available for Android and Apple mobile devices, as well as a vast array of smart TVs and streaming boxes, all you need is a valid UK TV license to stream the game.
Stream RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World season 2 in the US
If you’re looking to watch all the fierce action in the States, you’ll need to head to WOW Presents Plus — the streaming home of international Drag Race shows.
WOW Presents Plus costs $5 a month and gives you ad-free access to Drag Race shows from around the world, as well as a wide selection of other LGBTQ-related content. Sign up for an annual plan for $50 and you’ll save $10 a year versus paying for 12 months separately.
Stream RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World season 2 in Canada
Season 2 will be airing in Canada on linear channel Crave 2 from Friday, Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). That means you’ll also be able to watch episodes on its sister streaming service Crave.
If you’re in Canada, you’ll be able to watch season 2 on Crave from Feb. 9. A Crave Total subscription costs CA$20 a month.
Stream RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World season 2 in Australia
For those Down Under, streaming platform Stan is where it’s at for Drag Race action. The opening episode of season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World will be available on the service from Saturday, Feb. 10, with new installments hitting Stan every Friday from then on.
A Stan membership will currently set you back AU$10 a month, but if you’re a new customer you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial.
Quick tips for streaming RupPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble streaming after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
