Meet Holi Dae Knight: Big, Bold and Bearded

If you loved the interview that I did with Misty Boox, then you will love another drag queen from Melbourne!

I am interviewing Justin or you may know by his part-time casual woman persona Holi Dae Knight. He is 35, he moved to Melbourne when he was 23 and he has loved every single moment of living here. We don’t talk about 2020-2023. He lives with his partner of 3 and a half years and his fluffy ginger cat, Aurora, who lives up to every stereotype of female ginger cats. They often refer to her as the fluffy devil, but we hope it is well-fed.

Justin is fairly involved in his local bear scene and more broadly across Australasia and he has hosted many events for them over the years and as you’ll find out below even competed for a bear title (and he is competing in the 2026 VicBear Competition – so best of luck). He has been doing drag for around 9 years, 5 of those as a proud hairy, bearded queen. He runs a weekly show and he has hosted many events around the city over the years from fundraisers, bingos, birthdays and even a baby shower!

Luka Musicki (L.M.): How did you get in being a drag queen, what was the motivation (and/or inspiration) and why do you do it?

Justin Mark (J.M.): I had been put in drag by some friends of mine over the years and some drag related things here and there but I really started doing drag after some friends and I did a surprise drag show for our local Gay rugby team the Melbourne Chargers  (@melbournechargers) fundraiser In The Flesh. The show was a hit and from there I started getting more and more into drag eventually participating in Baby Drag at Mollies Bar and Diner and then eventually hosting my own show Drag Roulette and now I host New Gigs On The Block at Sircuit.

L.M.: It is usually a long process to have a creative and fun name for a drag queen. Where did you get the name ‘Holi Dae Knight” from? I was thinking that my drag queen name would be either Miss-steak or Enter-Prize Furr-real, did I get it right for a good bear drag queen?

J.M.: I got my drag name from the hotel I worked at, I was approached by a colleague in our sales team to “host” a cocktail afternoon as a drag queen. We needed a name that reflected the brand, Holiday Inn and so Holi Dae Knight was born. I think those are all good options for a beary good drag name. Wink wink. A good drag name for me should reflect the type of drag performer you are or the persona you want to portray. Drag is very freeing and finding a name that fits you can be a fun journey.

L.M.: There are many drag queens in Australia (let alone around the world) like Frock Hudson and Misty Boxx (in Melbourne), Jacqui St. Hyde, Keira Billie and Maxi Shield (in Sydney), and Archie Arsenic (in Brisbane). Are there any drag queens that I am missing here to mention? And what is the drag queen scene like for a bearded drag queen? 

J.M.: Those are just a drop in the ocean of Australia’s drag scene. We have drag queens, kings, things and everything in between all across the country doing really amazing things in the art of drag. There are quite a few bearded drag queens these days. I think post covid people have approached their drag a little differently. A few years ago a bearded drag queen was considered an “alt” queen and stood out like a sore thumb but now it’s more accepted and celebrated for drag performers to embrace whatever aesthetics they wish. Some of my favourite bearded queens are people like Jemima Handful (Melbourne), The Birthday Girl (Melbourne),  Asphyxia (Brisbane) and Katrina Waters (New Orleans). But there are so many more in Australia and the world.Personally, I think I look just as good with the beard as I do without in drag and quite often people don’t even realise that I do have a beard in drag. I don’t like to draw attention to mine by drawing it in or anything and I think that helps it to blend more seamlessly into my drag persona.

L.M.: I remember you competed in the 2024 VicBears competition and hosted the 2024 Australasian Bear competition, why did you decide to enter in the VicBears competition as a drag queen (and what was your talent that you were showcasing), and how was it like to host the Australasian Bear contest with the 2024 VicBears competitor alongside you? I remember the funniest sassiest line that you delivered, what was it?

J.M.: I had toyed with the idea of competing for the title of Mr VicBears for a while, a few of my friends had previously competed and won and I’d become close with a lot of the interstate winners through hosting the Mr Australasia Bear Meet The Contestants over the years. Seeing them win and do what they did for the community in terms of pushing boundaries of what a bear could be really hit home for me and as someone who didn’t always feel comfortable in myself and the bear community I thought it was time for me to step up. Drag can sometimes be a mask that gives me more confidence, so competing as Justin and not Holi was a big step out of my comfort zone. My talent for the competition was to do a reenactment of a “famous” video of mine through the art of dance. It involved me, a shower, some amyl and a slippery moment with a toy and the rest I’ll leave to your imagination. While I didn’t win that competition, it was a really fantastic experience and then being the host of the Meet The Contestants later that year it meant I got to really roast Joenas who won Mr VicBear 2024. I can’t really remember everything I said during the Meet The Contestants but I do remember getting a lot of laughs from the crowd when I was interviewing Joenas and giving him hell for beating me. Now, I will be competiting in the 2025 Mister VicBear competition.

L.M.: Tell me about the MEDEAs? What is it about? And why do we see you there?

J.M.: The MEDEAs are the Melbourne Excellence in Drag and Entertainment Awards which started in 2024. I was nominated for Bitch Of The Year (Best host), Mx Congeniality and the show I host, New Gigs On The Block, for Best Variety event both years. This year I was very honoured to accept the award for Best Variety Event for New Gigs!

L.M.: What are the gigs, events, and shows that you have MC for? 

J.M.: I host New Gigs On The Block each and (almost) every Thursday at Sircuit. We’ve been doing shows for about two and a half years now and have seen an incredibly diverse offering of casts tip tap across the stage in that time. New Gigs is a show where casts get booked for a two-to-three-week micro residency at Sircuit and get the opportunity to put together a show of their choosing. These shows have been a real mix of new, up and coming and established performers from many walks of the drag and drag adjacent performing spaces. Sometimes the show is good, sometimes the show is so bad it becomes good and you never know what you’ll get until you’re there!Over the years I have hosted Drag Roulette, a show with an open stage and a penchant for shenanigans to take place, various fundraisers and bingos across the city of Melbourne and I have been a bit of a mainstay as resident Meet The Contestant hostess for the Mr Australasia Bear comp since 2019.

L.M.: What are your favourite songs to sing or lip sync to when you are performing?

J.M.: I love doing a ballad or a “park and bark”. It takes a lot of skill to stand and deliver a number where it’s just you and the emotions. I also really love doing camp, old school drag numbers or putting that old school spin on newer tracks. I’ve never (seriously) claimed to be a dancer so my numbers tend to lean more comedic than high energy dance and trick numbers.

L.M.: It seems like the Victorian streets are your modelling catwalk/run-away, how do you decide on where to do your catwalk in Melbourne City? Is it not dangerous with the cars and trams? 

J.M.: It was actually a really easy decision, I stood outside Sircuit on Smith Street after my shows on Wednesday nights and basically had the street to myself. Every now and then we’d have to dodge a tram or a taxi driver who was staring a little too closely but otherwise it was an empty street. Now that New Gigs has made Thursday nights it’s home it’s a little tricker as the roads are busier. It might be time for me to find a new weekly backdrop for my post show photos but for now I just wave the cars to go around me.

L.M.: Being a drag queen is a lot of work, I would imagine. How long does it take you to get yourself ready, like from the make-up to the costume/outfit? How long does it take to style your beard?

J.M.: Getting into drag can take as long as you want it too. There are nights where I can get into full face, body and hair within an hour and other nights where I might spend an hour on my face and another hour getting into my costume and wigs. Generally, I like to be done within an hour and a half. I find if I spend too much time playing I make a mistake and have to start parts of my make up over. As for getting my beard looking good, I don’t do too much with it for drag other than cleaning up the edges. I see my barber every four weeks and he keeps me looking fresh.

L.M.: If you had to playfully throw shade on a fellow drag queen, who would it be and what is the goss/tea?

J.M.: I like to throw shade with my close drag friends. It can be a really tricky line to navigate if you don’t know how someone will react. I try to keep my reads to things I know about the performer or something that can be easily changed. I once heard some advice that if something can’t be changed or altered in five minutes, it’s not something to poke fun at (unless you REALLY know the person).

L.M.: What do you do in your spare time to let your ‘drag’ hair done? Like recreational activities?

J.M.: In my spare time I like to spend time with my partner, we go to parties, theatre, art exhibitions and go for drives to the country for really nice pastries. I also really enjoy spending time playing video games and zoning out for a while. What people often don’t understand is that drag can be incredibly draining socially when your job is to make sure people are having a good time. So, I like to make sure I carve out time for myself to recharge the batteries.

L.M.: Would you say being a bear has helped or hindered your career? Is your audience primarily bears?

J.M.: I think being a bear / bearded queen has definitely helped carve out a niche for me. I don’t think it’s particularly helped or hindered overall, although I’m sure being a bear queen did help me land the hosting gigs for VicBears. My audience is really quite mixed and depends on the event I am hosting at the time. I like to think I’m pretty universal and adapt well to where I am and who I am entertaining. All while keeping my cheeky personal brand of drag in the mix.

L.M.: Is there any advice that you would give someone (like a bear) who would be interested in starting in the drag queen career, and what is involved? Like singing, dancing, vogue model photography, right? 

J.M.: Take the job of drag seriously, but don’t take drag seriously. You should treat the artform with respect but make sure you’re doing it to have fun! Drag comes in so many different shapes, sizes and styles so you should experiment and find what feels right for you and compare yourself only to your last face or performance. There is nothing to gain from benchmarking yourself against others performers, learn from them but don’t try to be them. Be your authentic self and the rest will fall into place. And yes, there is so much involved in drag! Focus on small things at a time, start with practicing your makeup or sewing or wig styling. You don’t need to do everything perfectly but you should do one or two things really well and then work on the rest as you go.

L.M.: Do you have any upcoming gigs that we should invest in?

J.M.: I host New Gigs On The Block each Thursday at Sircuit on Smith Street here in Melbourne / Naarm. I have a brand new cast each month and we have a special Battle Royale night on the second last Thursday of the month where patrons can battle each other in a gladiator style setting for a bar tab!

L.M.: What are your career goals for the future? 

J.M.: My goal is pretty simple, have fun with drag. Drag for me is a creative outlet and a way to express my more feminine attributes. I really love hosting New Gigs but I don’t see myself working full time in drag.

L.M.: Thank you Justin for being part of this interview and best of luck with your entry in 2026 Mister VicBears Competition. Now for some quick-fire questions.

• Location: Melbourne / Naarm, Victoria Australia
• Pronouns: He/Him out of drag, She/Her in drag
• Relationship status: Taken, but open to alliances
• Favorite Drink: An iced latter or anything citrus
• What type of guy are you into? I’m into a wide range of guys. I don’t dickscriminate if you know what I mean.
• Favorite Cities/Vacation Spots: I love Melbourne and the rich culture it has to offer. I haven’t travelled much but I always love coming home.
• Favorite Hobby or Pastime: I love playing simulation video games or kicking back and binging a series on tv.
• Idea of a good date? I love an adventure followed by a meal. My partner and I will trade back and forth with one of us picking a fun activity and the other picking a nice place to eat. 
• What do you look for in a guy? Depends on the guy, but if they’re a top consider me interested. 
• Where can you find yourself? Website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
  • Facebook (Drag Queen): https://www.facebook.com/HoliDaeKnight
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holidaeknight/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_softmasc/
  • Others? I’m sure they can find my Twitter/Bluesky if they look hard enough.

Picture: Deputy Editor for Bear World Magazine, Luka Musicki, with the lovely Holi Dae Knight!