Lucha VaVoom de La Liz (LVVDLL) Delivers One Of The Most Electrifying Live Shows On Earth

A wild, high-octane mashup of lucha libre wrestling, burlesque, comedy, and nonstop spectacle. Originally co-founded in 2002 by producer Liz Fairbairn as Lucha VaVOOM (LVV), before going on to become Los Angeles’ longest-running, most celebrated variety show, attracting a devoted following and celebrity fans (including Drew Carey, Andy Richter, Dana Gould, Jack Black, Eric Idle, Fred Armisen, Patton Oswalt, Morrissey, Billy Corgan, Sacha Baron Cohen, Demi Moore, Whitney Cummings, Danny Trejo, Ronda Rousey, and more); as well as successfully selling out venues across the globe (including in Amsterdam, Calgary, Toronto, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia, and more) and performing at international festivals (including Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival and Australia’s Big Day Out Festival). With masked wrestlers battling it out in one-fall, character-driven matches and world-class burlesque artists dazzling audiences between bouts, LVVDLL has cemented its reputation as a surreal, glam-bam spectacle that’s equal parts raucous, sexy, and hilarious.

In February 2022, LVV re-emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Fairbairn alone curating, producing, directing, and financing close to twenty LVV shows through 2023 (including LVV’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration throughout 2022, as well as the launch of a Las Vegas residency at the legendary House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, which kicked off in July ‘23 with two shows). As LVV’s sole producer for those two years, Fairbairn also oversaw and directed a special tribute show (Sept. ‘23), in partnership with Amazon Prime Video, honoring her close friend and one of LVV’s biggest stars, the trailblazing lucha libre wrestler and queer icon Cassandro. Plus, Fairbairn brokered two unique cross-promotional collaborations for LVV with major movie studios, including Sony Pictures for their original action thriller film Bullet Train (July ‘22) and Warner Bros. Pictures for their feature film Blue Beetle (August ‘23). Fairbairn kicked off 2024 with her new production company ‒ Lucha VaVoom de La Liz.

In their 20 th anniversary retrospective (Sept./Oct. ’22 issue), titled “How Lucha VaVoom Became a Queer Wrestling & Performance Extravaganza,” The Advocate writes: “...the high-octane extravaganza has been an iconic entertainment institution for two decades now. And for a show seemingly centered on chi-chis and machismo, its history is surprisingly queer. Lucha VaVoom has evolved much over the years…the show has featured everything from famous comedian MCs like Margaret Cho and Jeffrey Ross to erotic aerialists like Violet Chachki of Drag Race fame along with other sexy gender-fluid performers. And of course, lots of buff, crazily costumed luchadors (of all genders) putting on a great show — some of whom have also been proudly out members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Los Angeles Times’ 20th anniversary piece (2/8/23), titled “Burlesque, body-slams and bright masks: How Lucha VaVoom became an L.A. institution,” proclaims: “Watching the mesmerizing, in-ring action at a Lucha VaVoom show is a veritable experience. But the wrestling itself is only one flavor of performance on display. From its very first show...in 2002, the Los Angeles institution has fused lucha libre with burlesque…and over the last 20-plus years has grown to include stand-up comedy, visual art, low-riders, and a host of other artists under the same psychedelic circus tent…For so many wrestlers, lucha libre and Lucha VaVoom specifically offer a laboratory for experimentation and a sense of creative freedom that’s liberating compared to the frequent self-seriousness of American pro wrestling.”