Liverpool lights up to honour The Vivienne, who passed away one year ago

Liverpool illuminated in green over the weekend to honour the memory of James Lee Williams - better known as The Vivienne - the trailblazing RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner who passed away tragically a year ago.

To mark the first anniversary of Williams’s death on 3 January 2025, more than a dozen venues and monuments across Liverpool and the North West were bathed in green light - a nod to The Vivienne’s iconic role as the Wicked Witch of the West and the signature colour of the House of The Vivienne, a support group founded by their family in their memory.

In Liverpool, the response was both heartfelt and widespread, with St George’s Hall, St John’s Beacon and the M&S Bank Arena all joining in the tribute. Independent LGBTQ+ venues, including Superstar Boudoir, Heaven and Everyman Theatre, also participated. 

Organiser and LGBTQ+ activist John Hyland, host of the Proudly Said podcast, described the evening as “a sight to behold” and thanked every venue and building that “went green tonight to honour our friend, James, The Vivienne”.

Hyland explained that the initiative is more than symbolic: “Going green … hopefully people will ask the question ‘why green?’ and that will help … lead to questions around drug misuse, particularly ketamine,” the substance linked to Williams’s untimely death.

Williams, who relocated to Liverpool in their teens and carved out a celebrated drag persona, was greatly missed when they died of cardiac arrest due to the effects of ketamine. In the days following their death, hundreds gathered outside St George’s Hall for a vigil, and a mural appeared in the Baltic Triangle.

Their family’s establishment of the House of The Vivienne continues to provide free addiction support - a living tribute to Williams’s memory and a commitment to helping others in their struggle.