Miss Earth 2026

Miss Earth is one of the world's Big 4 international beauty pageants, founded in 2001 by Carousel Productions in the Philippines with an explicit focus on environmental awareness and advocacy. Unlike other major pageants, Miss Earth places environmental stewardship at the centre of its mission, requiring all contestants to actively campaign for ecological causes. The competition crowns four titleholders: Miss Earth (the overall winner), Miss Air, Miss Water, and Miss Fire, each representing a different element and environmental domain. Contestants from over 80 countries participate in a month-long series of activities including eco-tours, environmental projects, and cultural events before the grand finale. Judging assesses contestants on environmental knowledge, advocacy platforms, personality, and stage presence. Miss Earth titleholders work throughout their reign with international organisations, governments, and NGOs on campaigns covering climate change, plastic pollution, reforestation, and ocean conservation. The pageant is headquartered in Manila and draws particularly strong participation from Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

Miss Earth representatives are selected through national franchise organisations operating in each eligible country. Contact your country's Miss Earth national organisation to learn about local auditions and selection processes. Applicants typically need to be between 18 and 27, hold citizenship or residency in the country they represent, and be able to demonstrate genuine commitment to environmental advocacy. Shortlisted candidates attend national competitions, with the winner representing their country at the international Miss Earth pageant in the Philippines.

Miss Earth was founded in 2001 by Lorraine Schuck and Roberto Cedejas of Carousel Productions, at a time when global environmental awareness was growing but largely absent from the pageant world. The Philippines won the inaugural 2001 title through Karla Henry. The pageant has since expanded to cover more than 80 national delegates annually. The Philippines, Venezuela, and Czech Republic are among the countries with the most Miss Earth titles.