The shoe fit perfectly.
And the new queen of New Year’s Eve was crowned at Key West’s Bourbon Street Pub.
Drag performer Jada Pinkett Fox of Dallas, Texas will ring in 2027 while riding in the famous red shoe for the island’s famous High-Heeled Shoe Drop at midnight.
Launched in 2025, the pageant-style competition gives professional drag performers across the country the chance to headline one of the globe’s most iconic New Year’s Eve celebrations — now entering its 29th year and covered internationally by CNN.
Presented by Bourbon Street Pub, New Orleans House and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, with support from Island House Key West, the 2026 tour visited seven U.S. cities between late August and October. The competition sought performers with exceptional stage presence, charisma and the ability to command crowds of thousands.
Jada Pinkett Fox was chosen Oct. 10 from among six finalists, who were brought to Key West for the final round of competition.
Fox was chosen as the contestant who best embodies the glamour, professionalism and spirit established by legendary Queens of New Year’s Eve — including Sushi, who reigned for 25 years, Christopher Peterson, Randy Roberts, and reigning national champion Mulan Alexander of Dallas, Texas.
Fox will star in the three-hour New Year’s Eve stage show on Duval Street and descend in the iconic red high heel during the countdown to midnight. She will receive an additional five-day/four-night stay at New Orleans House for New Year’s Eve plus a $2,000 appearance fee. In what is now a much-anticipated annual tradition, the winner also receives a custom couture costume designed by Sushi, the original Queen of New Year’s Eve, to be debuted on Dec. 31.
In addition to Jada Pinkett Fox, who represented the Round-Up Saloon in Dallas, other finalists included Fifi Dubois of New York City; Calypso Jete of Los Angeles and West Hollywood; Arsyn Ick of North Florida; Brandii Benet of Minneapolis and TP Lords of South Florida.
