Vietnam, 5 other Southeast Asian countries confirmed to skip Miss Universe 2026

This means Nguyen Quynh Anh, who was crowned Miss Universe Vietnam 2026 in early October, will not represent the country at the 75th edition of the international beauty pageant this year.

This will be Vietnam’s first absence from Miss Universe since 2014, ending the country’s streak of consecutive participation from 2015 to 2025.

Nawat Itsaragrisil, founder and chairman of Miss Grand International (MGI) and CEO of Miss Universe East (MU East), said the six contestants would retain their national titles and contractual benefits while continuing community activities in their home countries. 

Speculation about their absence emerged earlier after their names were missing from the contestant list published on the official Miss Universe Organization website. 

The absence of the Vietnamese representative from the international pageant has disappointed many beauty pageant fans. 

Miss Universe CEO Ronald Day previously emphasized that the decision not to recognize the six countries' representatives remained in effect. 

The exclusion stems from a dispute between JKN Universe LLC, the owner of the Miss Universe brand, and Nawat. 

The Miss Universe Organization maintains that Nawat has no legal standing or authority to license the use of the Miss Universe brand in the six Southeast Asian markets. 

Consequently, it does not recognize franchise agreements signed through the businessman.

Nawat's side has rejected that position, citing a 50-50 co-ownership structure for the Miss Universe brand to argue that it retains management rights across 95 territories in the eastern region. 

According to the official Miss Universe Organization website, up to 120 contestants are expected to compete in the pageant's 75th-anniversary edition. 

Contestants are expected to begin arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8 for training sessions, group activities, and cultural and tourism experiences ahead of the competition. 

Three major events are scheduled at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico: the national costume competition on November 21, the semifinals on November 22, and the grand finale on November 24, when the new Miss Universe will be crowned.