Contestants from several countries gathered in Dublin for a multicultural pageant that combined cultural celebration with an educational message about drug prevention.
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.
Drug education formed an important part of the event, with guided exhibition tours introducing visitors to information about commonly used drugs. Many of the contestants studied Truth About Drugs materials in advance, and several completed the full series of fourteen online courses.
Mayor of South Dublin Cllr. Francis Timmons addressed the audience and highlighted the value of cultural diversity, education and prevention.
The pageant was accompanied by a diverse cultural programme featuring dancers from several community organisations.
At the end of the competition, Niveditha Vudayagiri was named Miss Cross Continent 2026. The other leading awards went to Fortunate Lindokuhle Masina and Yuki Yuliatin.
The event demonstrated how multicultural celebrations can also provide a platform for education, responsibility and positive community engagement. A fuller report on the Dublin multicultural pageant and drug-education initiative provides additional details about the contestants, performances news euro 24 and educational programme.