Image: Coney Island USA
Coney Island USA has announced a run of late-summer and early-fall events that spans burlesque, drag, queer history, and tattoo culture, with the 23rd Annual Miss Coney Island Pageant set for September 26 at the organization’s Brooklyn address on Surf Avenue. The pageant is billed as an “irreverent homage” and a parody contest celebrating Coney Island, and the 2026 edition will be hosted by JO BOOBS.
According to the event listing, the pageant runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224. Tickets for theater access are $45, while Freak Bar live video simulcast tickets are $20 and include voting ballots but not theater access. The contest is 18+ to enter and 21+ to drink. Coney Island USA says the pageant’s audience will decide who wears the crown for 2027.
The list of contestants announced for this year’s competition includes ILOV GRATE, Raina Sinclair, Desiree De Sade, Daphne Always, Persé Fanny, Clawdette the Pretty Brown Clown, Whiskey Jules, Dylan Mary Jane, Dominant Jeane, and Rose Quartz. The organization’s page page also notes that all ticket sales are non-refundable and will-call only, and that tickets do not ship. The event is tagged under Burlesque at the Beach.
Coney Island USA is also programming a series of other performances and special events around the same period. On August 15, Close Friends Collective will present 'Queer Coney Island: An Afternoon of History and Performance' at the Coney Island Museum, with a ticket price of $38. The afternoon begins with a tour of queer historical sites along Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk, then continues with a visit to the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, a stop at the museum after hours, and beachy readings followed by a historically informed drag show. The group describes itself as a collective of educators, historians, and artists focused on public history.
Also on August 15, Switch n’ Play will bring 'Filth IV' to Coney Island USA’s theater at 9 p.m. The pageant-style burlesque event is described by the presenters as “a night of lascivious acts,” featuring performances by Switch n’ Play members Divina GranSparkle, K.James, Miss Malice, Nyx Nocturne, and Vigor Mortis, along with special guests DiDi Opulence, God Complex, and Selena Surreal. Tickets are listed at $25, with the same 18+ and 21+ age restrictions.
The summer schedule continues with 'The World’s Most Interesting Sisters' on August 22, a musical burlesque show centered on Debra and Betty Bardeaux, two former cabaret stars trying to find renewed attention in the digital age. The August 23 program 'I Know You Are, But What Am I? The 2nd Annual Pee-wee Universe Look Alike Contest' will take place outdoors on West 12th Street, with registration beginning at noon inside the Freak Bar and the competition starting at 2 p.m. Coney Island USA says the free event is part of a broader celebration of the late Paul Reubens and his character Pee-wee Herman.
On the same day, the Coney Island Museum will host 'Ask the Experts: Thomas Santelli, Author of “Coney Island Ink: Portraits of the Coney Island Tattoo Festival,” with special guest, Amy Krakow.' The talk looks back to the annual Coney Island Tattoo Festival, which began in the late 1980s at Sideshows by the Seashore during New York City’s tattoo ban. The event page says Santelli served for seven years as the festival’s official photographer and that the book includes more than 240 color and black-and-white portraits alongside cultural and historical commentary by Krakow, tattoo historian Dr. Matt Lodder, and novelist Amy Shearn. The program is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Coney Island Museum, with a suggested donation of $5.
