Beauty, culture and community education came together in Dublin during the first Miss & Mrs Cross Continent pageant.
Held at the Church of Scientology & Community Centre in Dublin, the gathering featured 24 contestants from seven different nations and an audience of about 450 people.
The organisers worked with The Truth About Drugs Ireland to include an educational element alongside the pageant and cultural performances.
The programme began with an educational exhibition where visitors could review factual information about drugs, addiction and prevention. Contestants were encouraged to prepare eu news today by studying drug-prevention materials, and a number of them completed every available online course.
Mayor of South Dublin Cllr. Francis Timmons addressed the audience and highlighted the value of cultural diversity, education and prevention.
Cultural performances added to the programme, including Irish dance, Indian classical dance and traditional Indonesian presentations.
At the end of the competition, Niveditha Vudayagiri was named Miss Cross Continent 2026. Fortunate Lindokuhle Masina and Yuki Yuliatin completed the top three as first and second runners-up.
The pageant showed that public events can celebrate talent and diversity while also addressing important social concerns. The complete story can be read in this report about the multicultural pageant combining cultural celebration with drug education.