A major fundraising event celebrating the life and legacy of The Vivienne is set to take place at BOXPARK Liverpool on Friday 30 October, with organisers hoping to raise more than £30,000 towards a permanent statue in the city’s Pride Quarter.

The Bring The Vivienne Home fundraiser will bring together fans, friends and performers for an evening of entertainment dedicated to the much-loved drag star, whose real name was James Lee Williams.

With a capacity of more than 1,000 people, organisers believe a sold-out event, combined with raffle sales, could raise more than a quarter of the £120,000 required to commission the memorial.

The campaign is led by James’s mother, Cassie Williams, and managed by Proudly Said.

Permanent statue planned for Liverpool’s Pride Quarter

The proposed statue will stand at the entrance to Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter, overlooking Stanley Street.

Designed as an accessible memorial, it will allow visitors to sit beside The Vivienne while celebrating James’s contribution to the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

Organisers hope the statue will also raise awareness of substance misuse and addiction, while encouraging renewed investment and footfall in the Pride Quarter.

James moved to Liverpool from Colwyn Bay at the age of 16, finding a community where he could express himself and develop the drag persona that would eventually make him famous.

Long before winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and appearing on Dancing on Ice, The Vivienne had become a familiar and celebrated figure in Liverpool’s nightlife scene.

James died in January 2025 following a battle with ketamine addiction.

The Vivienne’s mother shares emotional tribute

Cassie Williams recalled the extraordinary response from Liverpool following her son’s death.

Cassie said:

“I’ll never forget standing in Liverpool in January 2025 right after James left us. We were still numb, and we came to a city that had already put itself in green for him. Thousands of people came out in the cold for my son, people who loved him, who admired his work and even those who’d never met him, and Liverpool just did it, because that was James to them.

“That was the night I knew. He came here at sixteen with nothing and this city made him who he was, so this is where he belongs, and where he can carry on giving back to the place that gave him everything. I’d love people to come to BOXPARK on Friday and be part of putting him there.”

Drag performances, musical bingo and entertainment

The Bring The Vivienne Home fundraiser promises a packed evening of entertainment featuring musical bingo, a Vivienne-themed quiz and live performances from artists who knew and loved James.

Among those appearing will be RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series one contestant Cheryl The Queen and Liverpool cabaret performer Brenda Labeau.

Local drag queen Regina McQueen will close the evening with a DJ set, while roaming performers will include drag queens and Stellar Ents’ Stellar’s Disco Divas.

Guests will also have the opportunity to take part in a fundraising raffle featuring 26 donated prizes.

These include £100 Givenchy goody bags, a £150 dining experience at San Carlo, Star Set Tour places at Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, a royal box experience at Funny Girls, theatre tickets and a personalised comedy song.

Raffle strips will cost £10 on the night, with all proceeds supporting the statue campaign.

A lasting legacy for The Vivienne in Liverpool

John Hyland, from Proudly Said, explained how the statue could make a lasting difference to Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community and help challenge stigma surrounding addiction.

John said:

“Think about who walks past that spot in a year. People who came looking for her, and people who had no idea she was there. Someone on their way to work, someone on a night out, someone who has never heard the name. They stop, they read it, and they learn what happened to James.

“That is thousands of people a year understanding something about addiction and stigma that they did not understand the day before, and it does not cost a penny once she is standing there.

“And it is a marker for the Quarter. We have lost venues, we have lost footfall, and this is the first permanent thing anyone has put back. Every pound of your ticket goes to the statue. Come on Friday, have a brilliant night, and know you helped put her there.”

How to get tickets for Bring The Vivienne Home

The Bring The Vivienne Home fundraiser takes place at BOXPARK Liverpool on Friday 30 October 2026.

Tickets cost £25 plus booking fee, with the full ticket price going directly towards the statue campaign.

Doors open at 6pm, with last entry at 7pm. Entertainment will continue until 11pm.

Tickets are available through Skiddle and Ticket Quarter.

Those unable to attend can still support the campaign by purchasing donation tickets from £5 through Skiddle.