Casting for Miss Vietnam Era 2026 is set to begin on May 24 at HUTECH University in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — The Miss Vietnam Era 2026 pageant has officially returned for its third season, with the first casting call scheduled for May 24 in HCM City.

Building on the success of its previous editions, the 2026 pageant aims to find representative faces of a generation of Vietnamese women defined by bravery, intelligence, and compassion.

First held in 2022, the competition quickly established itself as a professional platform celebrating the comprehensive beauty of modern Vietnamese women.

The inaugural crown was awarded to Nguyễn Mai Anh from Nghệ An Province. The second season, held in Phan Rang - Tháp Chàm, saw Nguyễn Ngọc Thảo Nguyên from Quảng Trị Province take the top prize.

This year’s theme, "Era of Beauty – Shining Legacy", underscores the organisers' commitment to highlighting not only physical grace but also intellectual depth and social responsibility.

The message seeks to bridge modern aesthetics with long-standing traditional cultural values, promoting Việt Nam's identity to an international audience.

Đặng Gia Bena, the founder and president of the pageant, said the 2026 season has seen significant investment in both scale and quality.

It is looking for contestants who possess not just beauty, but the wisdom and heart to share with the community, she said.

"As the country enters a new era, modern Vietnamese women must embody these elements to confidently step out into the world," Bena added.

The competition will follow a rigorous national selection process, including casting rounds, preliminaries, semi-finals, and a grand finale.

Organised by StarWorld Entertainment, the final rounds are expected to take place in August in Quảng Trị Province.

The event operates under license No 1772/SVHTTDL-QLVH, granted by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 22.

The southern region’s official casting day will be held at the HCM City University of Technology (HUTECH) Creative Hall (Saigon Campus) on May 24.

The session is open to students from various universities and colleges across HCM City, offering them a chance to experience a professional pageant environment and meet industry experts.

Following the HCM City event, casting calls are expected to continue at various locations across the country. — VNS