Vezirja

Vezirja is an Albanian actor and drag artist widely regarded as the first person in Albania to publicly perform in drag. Born in Korçë, she studied at the University of Arts in Tirana and began performing as Vezirja in 2015. Beyond nightlife, she has a recurring role on the long-running Albanian sketch show Portokalli, using comedy and satire to smuggle queer visibility into mainstream Albanian television. In 2023 she was cast on the third season of Drag Race Italia, where she was eliminated in the third episode, placing eleventh overall. Her stage work blends stand-up, sarcasm and music, and she has been vocal about the real risks of performing as an openly queer artist in Albania, framing every gig as a small act of activism.