The first drag queen in our “Drag Hochburg Salzburg” series is Silvia Prighdt. We spoke to her about her first experiences in dresses and high heels. We discussed how this innocent experiment turned into a passion and what she thinks of the Salzburg drag scene.

Right from the start of our conversation with Silvia Prighdt, it becomes clear that her journey into drag was anything but straightforward. “I think the first time I went into drag was in 2006,” she recalls. “I can’t quite remember the occasion… was it Halloween or Carnival?” But the experience stuck with her. Inspired by films like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, she quickly realised: “We’ve got that here too. It’s not just a US thing.”

The first steps were child’s play. An outfit from her best friend, a wig and some shoes, and then she was off. “It was absolutely brilliant,” she says. But back then, there was hardly any of the established scene we know today. “That was before RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“There weren’t any shows like that, or anything similar, back then.” There was still no real representation of drag here. “Then it all sort of petered out, and Silvia fell into a deep slumber that lasted for years.”

Silvia – reborn

It wasn’t until many years later, in 2022, that things took a turn – and it happened quite by chance. Whilst visiting one of her friends, she heard for the first time about a drag show in Salzburg that takes place regularly, right nearby, with plenty of noise. “That’s when I really pricked up my ears,” she says. Shortly afterwards, she attended one of these shows, which turned out to be none other than a Magic Garage show at the Narrencastl in Salzburg.

The next step came very quickly: a fancy dress competition. “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” she thought to herself at the time, and took part. Shortly afterwards, she took to the stage at a Christmas show: “I thought I’d go for a living Christmas tree outfit.” The response was positive, and suddenly the question arose: should she carry on or not? “I’ll be back next time,” she knew for sure.

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“Silvia felt different 15 to 18 years ago.” Yet the character came back immediately, as if one were “shedding one part of one’s personality whilst simultaneously activating another”.

Today, Silvia Prighdt is not only a performer but also a producer of her own projects. With the Project .png, she has a clear aim: “I don’t just want to perform a song; I want to do something fun for a change.”

“Drag shouldn’t remain isolated”

She is deliberately focused on bringing together different art forms. “Drag shouldn’t remain isolated. I want to create a way of engaging with it that reaches a wide range of people,” she explains.

This perspective also shapes her view of the scene as a whole. She sees Salzburg as being surprisingly well-established: “In terms of quality and innovation, we are every bit as good as the bigger cities.” Despite the difference in size compared to Vienna, there is a remarkable diversity, and all in all, Silvia Prighdt describes the Salzburg drag scene as: “Diverse, colourful and authentic.”
Interview and text: Sebastian Brandstätter

Silvia Prighdt is co-producer of the Magic Cabaret at the Toihaus. Tickets are available here.