BenDeLaCreme and Dita Von Teese: The Queer Royalty Duo Set to Dazzle Europe with Nocturnelle

The velvet curtain is about to rise on an event that’s already sending ripples through queer nightlife and entertainment: BenDeLaCreme, beloved drag innovator and comedic provocateur, has been announced as the official host of Dita Von Teese’s Nocturnelle 2026 UK & European tour. This isn’t just a new gig on the calendar—it’s a meeting of queer royalty, a mashup of glamour, wit, and subversive artistry ready to enchant audiences from Manchester to Milan .

When BenDeLaCreme, known worldwide for her award-winning theatre, film, and drag artistry, took to social media to share the news, the response was instant and electric. “As a lover of burlesque and a long-time admirer of Dita’s artistry, this is truly a dream come true! I am incredibly honored that this titan of tease has asked me to host her monumental new production!” DeLa exclaimed, before warning: “Watch out world, cuz there’s no way to prepare for the Dita/DeLa one-two punch!” .

Dita, for her part, is equally starstruck, calling herself “over the moon” to have DeLa on board: “I know audiences will adore the glamorous hilarity of DeLa just as much as I do. I cannot wait to kick off this tour with one of my favorite queens in showbiz!” .

Nocturnelle isn’t just a burlesque revue—it’s the next chapter in a cultural renaissance where drag, burlesque, and queer performance art command the global spotlight. Dita Von Teese, lauded for resurrecting and revolutionizing burlesque for the mainstream, is the high priestess of sensuality and spectacle. Her productions, from the record-breaking Glamonatrix tour to this new odyssey, have pushed the art of striptease into a realm of “high-art stripscapes,” blending old-Hollywood glamour with boundary-breaking theatricality .

Nocturnelle, inspired by 19th-century magicians, promises a world “where sensuality meets magic”—a space that’s always belonged to queer imagination and transgressive artistry. The decision to install BenDeLaCreme as host is more than smart casting; it’s a cultural statement. DeLa, who first broke out on RuPaul’s Drag Race and has since become an icon in her own right, represents the best of queer creativity: witty, political, relentlessly original, and deeply invested in the power of performance to create change .

For LGBTQ+ audiences, this tour is a fever dream come true. DeLa’s comedic timing and emotional intelligence meet Dita’s mastery of tease and transformation—a combination that promises both belly laughs and goosebumps. But beyond the star power, it’s the queer subtext that pulses at the heart of this pairing.

DeLa’s own journey began in the drag and burlesque underground, blending camp, commentary, and classic glamour, and she’s never shied away from fighting anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric or calling out injustice. Her work, from The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show—which snagged the 2024 Queerties Award for “Best Live Theatre”—to her directorial turns with fellow drag royalty, is a testament to the resilience and brilliance of queer storytelling .

Dita’s own legacy is inextricably tied to queer history. Burlesque has long been a space where gender, sexuality, and self-expression exist on a shimmering spectrum. By putting a drag queen front and center, Nocturnelle isn’t just nodding to queer roots—it’s spotlighting them, inviting audiences of all identities to celebrate the joy of being unapologetically themselves.

At a time when drag and queer performance face both unprecedented popularity and political backlash, the union of BenDeLaCreme and Dita Von Teese is more than a booking—it’s an act of resistance and visibility. DeLa has used her platform to educate audiences on how anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric threaten queer and transgender communities globally, reminding us that glitter and laughter are tools as much as escape .

As the Nocturnelle tour kicks off in Manchester in January 2026, it will carry with it decades of queer artistry, activism, and cultural evolution. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, seeing icons like DeLa and Dita headline together isn’t just entertainment—it’s affirmation. It’s a reminder that queer people belong on every stage, in every spotlight, and at the heart of every story.

And if the anticipation online is any indication, this “Dita/DeLa one-two punch” is destined to be more than a show. It’s a movement, a party, and a love letter to the generations who made it possible.

So, dust off your boas, polish those heels, and get ready: queer excellence is coming to a city near you. And in the words of DeLa herself, there’s no way to prepare.