Was It Worth It? A Night at the Queerium (Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto)

 Was It Worth It? My Night at the Queerium

Recently, I finally made it out to The Queerium—(at the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto), this was a venue I’d been hearing a lot of buzz about. As a straight female, I have always been someone who’s always supported the 2SLGBTQ+ community, so I was genuinely excited to check it out. 

I didn’t go in expecting Vegas-level glitz, but for the $76 ticket price, I did expect something beyond just access to the space.

And that’s the thing—it was literally just entry. No drink ticket. No food. No perks. Just... the use of the venue.

Still, I was determined to have fun. My friend decided to order a “Sugar Daddy” (adorable name, right?). But she asked them to skip the grape juice mixer, and they replaced it with three shots of gin - to fill the glass. Great, until we saw the bill: $40 for one drink. I wish I was kidding.  Don't worry she got a refund for the 2 additional shots :)

As for the show, the lineup was supposed to feature 3 or 4 drag acts. Only tw

o queens performed: JUICE BOX and BOA. Their energy was decent, but their sets were short—about 15 minutes in total. They lip-synced to the usual Gaga go-tos, “Born This Way” and “Bad Romance,” which felt tired and a little too on the nose. The rest of the evening was filled by two male dancers, who gave it their all but were clearly exhausted after 2 hours of nonstop movement.

I really wanted to love it. I came open-minded and ready to celebrate drag culture. But I left feeling a bit let down. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe it’s just that the experience didn’t match the price tag or the promise.

That said, I’m curious—have you been to the Queerium or a similar venue recently? Was your experience different? Am I being too harsh, or did I just catch an off night?

Let me know in the comments. I’d really love to hear your take—especially if you’re part of the scene or a regular at these events.  Maybe there's more to the Queerium than I saw.