Naman Shrestha
A David Collins creation, Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye‘ AKA ‘Queer Eye: More than a Makeover’ is a universally acclaimed reality television series that has been churning uplifting and feel-good content since its premiere in 2018. Driven by the expert guidance provided by a group of professionals from various fields referred to as the Fab Five, comprising Jonathan Van Ness (grooming), Tan France (fashion), Bobby Berk (interior design), Antoni Porowski (food and wine), and Karamo Brown (culture and lifestyle), the multiple Emmy-winning reboot show has managed to recreate the essence of the eponymous Bravo original that ran from 2003 to 2007. Sadly, Bobby Berk announced that the eighth season would mark his final outing with the rest of the Fab Five.
Also known as ‘Queer Eye: More than a Makeover,’ the show features several individuals who undergo not just physical but also mental transformation at the hands of the Fab Five and emerge a confident version of themselves with a renewed perspective towards living life. Over eight seasons, the show has managed to garner a huge fanbase owing to its unique premise, commitment to maintaining authenticity, promotion of inclusivity, honest representation of the LGBTQ+ and other communities, and genuine camaraderie between the coaches. Having traversed through multiple states in the country as well as Australia and Japan for lensing the first seven seasons and specials, it is natural for fans to be curious to know where season 8 of ‘Queer Eye’ was filmed.
Where Was Queer Eye Season 8 Shot?
The eighth installment of ‘Queer Eye’ was shot extensively in Louisiana, particularly in the areas in and around the city of New Orleans. As per reports, production took place over the summer of 2022, during which there were reports of two attempted vehicle thefts and a successful one, making the shooting quite distressing for everyone involved. Interestingly, it wasn’t the Netflix production’s first foray into taping the show in the Lower South and West South Central regions; season 7 was actually shot entirely in the Bayou State. Since the production team was familiar with the area, resources, and its people, the process of filming went smoothly, likely without significant hiccups or hindrances. Without further ado, let’s learn more about the specific sites that were utilized to breathe life into season 8.
New Orleans, Louisiana
For the purpose of filming ‘Queer Eye’ season 8, the cast and crew set up camp at various locations across New Orleans, Louisiana. Hotel Saint Vincent at 1507 Magazine Street served as a brief filming spot for the Fab Five. A portion of episode 1 was shot at Josephine Estelle, a restaurant known for serving Italian cuisine peppered with Southern goodness at 600 Carondelet Street in the Warehouse District. The team also headed to The Elysian Bar in Hotel Peter and Paul at 2317 Burgundy Street and men’s clothing store Rubensteins at 102 St Charles Avenue to shoot some scenes. Bluenote Barbershop at 1036 Henriette Delille Street also served as a filming site.
The second episode of the eighth season comprises scenes shot at the Cajun Encounters, a local touring business at 941 Decatur Street that specializes in curating tours of the cemetery, plantation, swamp, and the city in general. Apart from that, Dr. Bob’s Folk Art — a local gem at 3027 Chartres Street in the Bywater neighborhood as well as Bearded Lady Barber Shop at 2122 Magazine Street is also where shooting took place. For taping a few sequences for episode 3, a stop was made at the popular Cosmetics store SEPHORA at 414 North Peters Street. To pick up some glamorous plus-size clothing, Tan settled on A Lane Bryant at 3301 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans.
The same episode features several shots of TOUCHES by TIRCUIT – The Hair Studio at 4712 Paris Avenue in Oak Park Shopping Center. The iconic New Orleans Jazz Museum at 400 Esplanade Avenue, that celebrates the history of jazz in more ways than one, also makes an appearance in episode 3. The subsequent episode was recorded at Q Clothier / Rye 51 at 333 Canal Street suite 219 and at Louisiana State University at 1542 Tulane Avenue. The cast and crew were also spotted filming at Tava Indian Street Food at 611 O’Keefe Avenue Unit 8. However, the restaurant where the cast had the “Best Chicken Sandwich in the city” closed its doors permanently on November 18, 2023.
Apart from that, a few scenes of episode 4 were lensed at Louisiana School for the Deaf, situated near the city, at 2888 Brightside Drive in Baton Rouge. For taping scenes of the fifth episode of season 8, the filming unit took over quite a few establishments on Magazine Street — Joseph Specialty Store at 5500 Magazine Street, Potsalot Pottery at 3818 Magazine Street, and The Sazerac House at 101 Magazine Street. Some scenes were also taped in and around Queenly Conjure at 8128 Oak Street #1/2 in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it is temporarily closed, as of writing.
Furthermore, episode 5 also consists of scenes lensed in Vessel NOLA at 3835 Iberville Street and Sweet Olive at 1230 North Broad Street. In the sixth episode of the eighth season, we are taken to the Bywater Brew Pub at 3000 Royal Street in the consolidated city parish of New Orleans. In addition, the Fab Five also paid a visit to the SOSUSU Boutique at 3427 Magazine Street, along with the Salon Society at 416 Girod Street.
Read More: Is Queer Eye Real or Scripted?
