Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc's new milestone at Miss World 2026

On the evening of August 31, the Miss World 2026 finals continued with the Beauty With a Purpose gala at the Voco Scenia Bay Nha Trang Hotel. Attending the event were Mrs. Julia Morley - President and CEO of the Miss World Organization; reigning Miss World Opal Suchata Chuangsri; Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska, along with leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa Province. Vietnam's representative, Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, was named in the top 24 of Beauty With a Purpose.

Contestant Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc enters the top 24 of Beauty With a Purpose

At the beginning of the program, the Miss World 2026 Organizing Committee presented the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa Province with 111 sets of books and stories brought by the contestants as souvenirs, while expressing gratitude to the local authorities for accompanying and supporting the competition's activities during its time in Khanh Hoa.

The highlight of the program was the announcement of the top 24 of Beauty With a Purpose, divided into 4 regions: Asia-Oceania, the Americas and the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe; each region has 6 representatives, and each contestant has 2 minutes to present their community project. Vietnam's representative, Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, was one of the 6 contestants from the Asia-Oceania region to make it into the top 24 of Beauty With a Purpose.  

At the program, Vietnamese representative Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc presented the project Gen Zero, empowering youth to participate in climate change response. Instead of just stopping at tree-planting campaigns, reducing plastic waste, or community propaganda, the project aims to help young people understand policies, participate in dialogues, and connect with domestic and international organizations. Gen Zero also aims to turn youth concern into systematic action, contributing to Vietnam's net-zero emissions commitment.

Bao Ngoc believes that young people are not just victims of climate change but should be given the opportunity to participate in building solutions. "More than just a crown, I hope to bring a beautiful, sincere, and inspiring story," Bao Ngoc shared.

The program also featured several other outstanding projects, such as: Contestant Ireen Navicha (Malawi) with When a Mother Is a Child, supporting female students who dropped out of school due to early pregnancy or early marriage to return to school; contestant Mística Núñez Rujano (Venezuela) with Seeds of Life, preventing childhood malnutrition in Falcón state; contestant Josephine Bøttger (Denmark) introduced a series of activities supporting pregnant women, disadvantaged families, and children with congenital heart disease - the very condition she has had since birth.  

According to the format, the 4 regional winners of Beauty With a Purpose will enter the top 40, the two best projects will enter the top 20 and top 12, and the overall winner is guaranteed a spot in the top 6.

Tanzanian contestant's item auctioned for $10,000

Following the presentations was the charity auction. The contestants directly introduced items brought from their homelands, shared the cultural stories behind them, and called on guests to participate in the bidding. All proceeds will be dedicated to charity activities in Vietnam.

Bao Ngoc's item was a mermaid evening gown designed by Nguyen Minh Tuấn. The design was crafted from thousands of hand-beaded crystal beads, with the shoulders shaped like wings. The gown conveys wishes of confidence, luck, and the ability to shine for the wearer, and was auctioned for $1,500.  

Beauty Latricia Ian Sawe (representing Tanzania) brought to the auction a necklace set with a 0.5-carat oval-cut Tanzanite on a 925 sterling silver base. Tanzanite is a rare gemstone found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, notable for its blue-violet hue. Accompanying the jewelry was a painting depicting Tanzanian nature with images of giraffes.

The Tanzanian contestant's item was purchased by Mrs. Pham Kim Dung - President of Miss World Vietnam for a total value of $10,000. After finalizing the bid, the President of Miss World Vietnam took the time to introduce Tanzania to international guests (the host country of Miss World 2027, succeeding Vietnam in the journey of organizing the pageant).  

In addition to the two aforementioned items, the auction also featured many artifacts bearing the cultural imprint of various regions. Venezuela's representative Mística Núñez Rujano brought the Purpose Celebration Necklace crafted by jeweler Yoel Accesorios. Denmark's representative Josephine Bøttger introduced ballet shoes associated with the passion she has pursued since childhood. The item featured the image of the Danish national flag, signed by her and the principal female dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet.

Interspersed between the auction segments, the Miss World 2026 contestants also showcased their talents in singing, dancing, playing musical instruments... The representative of Guadeloupe performed the song La Vie en rose;  the Philippine contestant performed a dance; the Paraguayan contestant played the violin; the Nigerian representative presented the song Opportunity and Miss England sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Mr. World Danny Mejía closed the performance segment with the song Begging You.

Beauty With a Purpose not only opens up opportunities for contestants to advance deep into the competition before the Miss World 2026 finals (on September 5) but is also a space to connect social projects, cultural preservation, and fundraising from representatives of more than 100 countries and territories.

THANH NGUYEN