Munich Kyiv Cabaret: Iconic Edition
Our charity drag show is back – this time in an iconic version. Ten drag artists, burlesque performers, singers, comedians and a magician will be performing for a good cause at the Drehleier Theatre on 27 February 2026. They are all waiving their fees; the proceeds from ticket sales will go to queer war victims in Ukraine. The show starts at 8 p.m. Get your tickets now
Markus Laymann, Munich-based compère and reality seller, will be presenting artists from all over Europe on the evening of 27 February, together with Samantha Jackson, Bavaria’s first and only drag queen from Ukraine. They have all come together to support LGBTIQ* people in and from Ukraine with an entertaining cabaret evening – you know the drill. An extravagant show with drag, music, burlesque, magic and comedy. Only this time, there will be a particularly large number of stars performing.
These are our hosts
Ukrainian drag ambassador Samantha Jackson from Odessa has a big stage presence, a big heart and an even bigger voice. Everything about her is big. Especially her longing for her old homeland, which she had to leave because of the war. Her songs remind us of Ukraine.
You can feel the love for her country in every note of her songs. She stands up for freedom and equality. And Samantha can contribute to this with all her artistic talent, because her singing is incredibly versatile. She masters opera, pop, jazz, rock and other music genres. Samantha says, “All people in this world deserve to be free to choose whom they love and to be who they are.”
Markus Laymann, a seller of reality, is a missionary of intelligent entertainment. That is why the style of his magic shows is more cabaret-like than seriously magical.
The focus is always on entertainment for the audience. In times when there are no more miracles for the enlightened guest, it is more important to address them directly, to make them laugh or think, or to surprise them. It’s magic!
And these are their guests
Vlad Koval has 24 years of dance experience and six years of high heels under his belt. The man is a megastar in Ukraine. The dancer and choreographer was once a member of the Ukrainian pop group Kazaky, which has performed with Madonna.
To date, he has hosted several Ukrainian dance camps, been a jury member at numerous competitions, and appeared on the most popular television shows, including Dancing with the Stars, Lip Sync Battle, and the M1 Music Awards. Vlad has worked with top international artists such as Todrick Hall, Dorofeeva, Max Barskih, NK, Dantes, and others.
She is a legend of the Ukrainian drag scene, an artist who has shaped an entire era. The name Dana National is linked to the beginnings of drag art in Ukraine, where she remains an icon to this day. She has become famous through television appearances, international tours, films and music videos such as Hurts’ “Beautiful Ones”.
Her performances are not about genres or conventions, but about precision. She carefully crafts each performance, combining acting skills and musicality. In this way, she creates an intense closeness to her audience. Dana National effortlessly changes mood, energy and rhythm. Her style balances glamour, boldness and sharp self-irony.
Dana National is an artist who does not explain herself or conform to expectations. She sets the tone, breaks with patterns and creates a space in which her art speaks freely for itself.
Olena Vyshnevska has been living in Vienna for three years now. The war brought her from Odessa to Austria. The mezzo-soprano, who worked in her hometown in Ukraine as a soloist with the regional philharmonic orchestra, at the opera house and as a solo singing teacher at the State Music Academy, continues to perform as a singer and travels throughout Europe for this purpose. She has won numerous international awards for her art.
Olena has performed frequently at our drag shows, most recently even in drag. She is Samantha’s former singing teacher.
Maksym Svirenko became famous in Ukraine as a contestant on the television show “X Factor” where he stood out with his charisma and bold interpretations. The singer from Berdychiv is considered a representative of Ukraine’s young generation of artists.
His work combines jazz elements with deep emotionality and a strong stage presence. Maksym has performed extensively in Ukraine and abroad, usually accompanied by jazz or wind orchestras, which has always given his concerts a distinctive sound.
He formulates his artistic philosophy as follows: “I am reborn every day to give a part of myself to the world.” He puts this into practice time and again on stage. He makes every performance a personal experience for the audience.
Randy Karma first appeared on stage in November 2025 and is one of the three notorious brothers of Burlesque Baby Candy Karma. As a drag king, he embodies toxic masculinity, questionable morals and unparalleled self-confidence.
Perry Stroika does strange things and rhinestones his underwear. The Munich drag king’s aesthetic falls somewhere between camp and campsite. In his performances, he wants to show people the silly side of masculinity.
Konstanz’s best Queen 2025 is called Etherexia. She is undefeated because, as she says with self-deprecating humour, she simply has no competition in the small town on Lake Constance. But she does have slaying hips and shaking tits.
Call her crazy if you like, but Etherexia has never liked supermarket pesto. Inspired by Bulgarian mothers and Olya Poliakova, she brings a unique level of cuntiness to her clowning.
And last but not least
Drag King Herr Schaftlich ensures that the stage is impeccably tidy. Herr Schaftlich is like the nice neighbour next door: he would lend you his balls anytime. But on 27 February, he’ll just tidy up the stage for us.
Munich Kyiv Cabaret is a charity evening for queer war victims. The artists are all waiving their fees; the proceeds will go to Ukrainian LGBTIQ* people who are in need or have been forced to flee their homes. The Munich Kyiv Queer team will be waiting for you at the information desk at the entrance to answer any questions you may have.
Munich Kyiv Cabaret Charity evening in aid of Munich Kyiv Queer
When Friday, 27 February 2026, 8 p.m.; doors open at 6.30 p.m.
Where Drehleier, Rosenheimer Straße 123
Tickets 29/25 euros plus advance booking fees, BUY
Organisers Munich Kyiv Queer, Drehleier
This is how you can donate
INDIVIDUAL HELP Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via https://www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support queer people in Ukraine who are in need or on the run. Why? Because not all LGBTIQ* are organised in the local LGBTIQ*-groups. This help is direct, fast and free of charge if you choose the option “For friends and family” on PayPal. If you don’t have PayPal, you can alternatively send money to the private account of Conrad Breyer, speaker of Munich Kyiv Queer, IBAN: DE427015000021121454.
All requests from the community are meticulously checked in cooperation with our partner organisations in Ukraine. If they can help themselves, they take over. If the demands for help exceed their (financial and/or material) possibilities, we will step in.
HELP FOR LGBTIQ* ORGANISATIONS To support LGBTIQ* in Ukraine we have helped set up the Alliance Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine, in which around 40 German LGBTIQ* Human Rights organisations are involved. All these groups have access to very different Human Rights organisations in Ukraine and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here
VULNERABLE GROUP And here you can find out why queer people in war need our support.
Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/help
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