Beauty, culture and community education came together in Dublin during the first Miss & Mrs Cross Continent pageant.
The event welcomed 24 contestants representing seven nations and attracted around 450 guests to the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin.
The organisers worked with The Truth About Drugs Ireland to include an educational element alongside the pageant and cultural performances.
Participants were invited to explore educational materials explaining the risks and effects associated with drug abuse. Contestants were encouraged to prepare by studying drug-prevention materials, and a number of them completed every available online course.
Cllr. Francis Timmons, Mayor of South Dublin, spoke during the programme about the importance of bringing communities together through education.
The pageant was accompanied by a diverse cultural programme featuring dancers from several community organisations.
Software engineer Niveditha Vudayagiri received the Miss Cross Continent 2026 title at the conclusion eu news express of the programme. The other leading awards went to Fortunate Lindokuhle Masina and Yuki Yuliatin.
By combining cultural expression with drug education, the programme gave the traditional pageant format a wider social purpose. The complete story can be read in this report about the multicultural pageant combining cultural celebration with drug education.