In a state where queer spaces can feel increasingly few and far between, the packed dance floor at Splash Nightclub this weekend offered a sense of joy, resistance and, most of all, celebration.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, March 21, Miami-based drag performer Athena Dion, fresh off the most recent season of \u201cRuPaul\u2019s Drag Race,\u201d headlined the night.<\/p>\n
While most attendees visited to get face time with the reality competition star, local talents London Manchester and Mahogany Campbell of the Bombshells of Baton Rouge also performed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a huge \u2018Drag Race\u2019 fan, but I\u2019m an even bigger fan of local drag,\u201d Splash guest Annelise Privat, 26, said. \u201cI have been going to drag locally for the past five years, and I didn\u2019t start watching \u2018Drag Race\u2019 until this past fall.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Dion being a newer face to the \u201cDrag Race\u201d franchise, Splash was a packed house, with many guests opting to buy VIP tickets to meet and take pictures with the queen starting at 11:15 p.m.<\/p>\n The itinerary for the night was pushed back due to Dion\u2019s flight to Louisiana being delayed. Manchester, as the emcee, noted that the team at Splash was unsure if the night\u2019s plans were even going to happen. Luckily, the team was able to work with Dion\u2019s manager to ensure Baton Rougeans would get their money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n For some, including LSU kinesiology senior Sophia Sturgeon, the star\u2019s appearance was a pleasant surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s incredible that a bar in Baton Rouge was able to get in contact with a drag queen from \u2018RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race,\u2019\u201d Sturgeon, 22, said.<\/p>\n Having been raised by queer moms, Sturgeon is grateful for Baton Rouge\u2019s large LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n \u201cit\u2019s incredible that the capital of such a red state is so welcoming to queer people, and that there is a safe space such as Splash and Mother\u2019s,\u201d Sturgeon said.<\/p>\n Privat, who currently lives in Lafayette, feels the same. After her traveling dance group, the Candy Mix Maids, cancelled practice, they decided to drive over an hour to let loose at Splash.<\/p>\n \u201cI love that I can drive all the way out here to the big city of Baton Rouge and see amazing queens, but I can also be in smaller towns like Lafayette and Lake Charles and see drag there too,\u201d Privat said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be able to see local performers \u2014 minorities in our community \u2014 be able to express themselves so freely, especially in a state where we can\u2019t always express ourselves for fear of retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the night\u2019s festivities being pushed back, the performances by Manchester and Campbell, as well as the headlining show from Dion, certainly delivered.<\/p>\n Starting at midnight, the trio gave guests an exceptionally electric show. Manchester brought the roof down from heaven with an angelic act, featuring hits like \u201cDon\u2019t Call Me Angel\u201d by Ariana Grande, Lana Del Ray and Miley Cyrus.<\/p>\n Stepping onto stage to \u201cKill Bill\u201d by SZA, Campbell gave a killer performance as a crazed dominatrix, donning a latex corset over a silky dressing gown.<\/p>\n Soon enough, it was time for the \u201cDrag Race\u201d alumna to take the stage. With nearly every phone in the building pointing to the stage, an auditory compilation of her time on the competition reality show began playing overhead, ultimately blending into \u201cWhen You\u2019re Good To Mama\u201d from the musical \u201cChicago.\u201d<\/p>\n In a metallic gold unitard, Dion gave a theatrically glamorous show, swishing a two-foot train that she dramatically detached while another sound edit played, this time focused on her \u201cDrag Race\u201d co-stars calling her a diva. Fittingly, \u201cDiva\u201d by Club 69 began playing, eventually rounding off the first set of drag with \u201cRespect\u201d by Aretha Franklin.<\/p>\n Dion focused on giving her fans a truly intimate moment of connection, squeezing her their hands and blowing kisses instead of reaching for the wads of cash pointed to her as she strutted the catwalk one more time.<\/p>\n Taking the microphone from Manchester, Dion thanked Splash Nightclub for its support.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve felt this much energy anywhere I\u2019ve been,\u201d Dion said.<\/p>\n Per a fan\u2019s request during her meet and greet, she then performed \u201cOPA!,\u201d an original song made for \u201cDrag Race,\u201d which RuPaul described as a \u201cGreek Latoya Jackson\u201d tune.<\/p>\n For the next hour, guests flounced around from the stage to the bar to the balcony while numbers like \u201cNo Hands\u201d by Waka Flocka Flame, \u201cCrazy in Love\u201d by Beyonc\u00e9 and \u201cSlow Wind\u201d by S Dott played.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lsureveille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-55-300x200.jpeg\")
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