Deepmala Dhakal won the Miss Nepal World 2026 title at the grand finale held at The Plaza in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, on Saturday, where the event showcased this year’s theme, ‘Top of the World’, a tribute to Nepal’s mountainous heritage and the aspirations of contestants seeking to reach the global stage.

The night's emotional peak arrived with the crowning of Deepmala as Miss Nepal World 2026, Arya Nishaant as Miss Nepal International 2026 and Kashis Subba as Miss Nepal Cosmo 2026. Each crowning was met with confetti, cheers and thunderous applause.

Answering a query Deepmala said she was inspired by her mother, who competed in the first Miss Nepal competition held in 1994. The 24-year-old works as an investment strategist at global investment management firm BlackRock. She is also a taekwondo black belt holder, a marathon runner, and has completed her bachelor’s degree in economics.

The event began with a tribute to mountaineers from around the globe. A mix of participants, past titleholders, family members and pageant devotees filled every seat with anticipation.

After the introduction of The Hidden Treasure's board of directors, an enchanting dance performance titled Mountain Silhouette followed, with the 24 finalists taking the stage in intricately choreographed routines.

With hosts Sanjay Silwal Gupta and Roneeshma Shrestha addressing the crowd, ‘The Hidden Treasure Kajaria Miss Nepal 2026’ commended the 24 finalists announcing their name, age and homeland with their riveting voices that held immense pride. This was one of the night's most breathtaking moments. All 24 finalists walked on the stage in Manish Rai’s designs. Each entrance’s celebration was amplified by a burst of applause.

This year's class was a striking one: doctors, lawyers, civil engineers, and past titleholders shared the stage.

With much anticipation, the subtitle awards were announced. Kashis Subba won the ‘Kajaria Miss Top Model’, Prema Lamgade bagged ‘Xiaomi Miss Multimedia’, Shraddha Adhikari won the ‘Xtreme Energy Miss Active’, Deepmala Dhakal was entitled ‘BYD Miss Green Visionary’ and also the ‘Nepal Medicity Miss Health and Harmony’.

Thereafter, the emcees introduced this year’s judges — Yolina Lindquist, Rupesh Pradhan, Srichchha Pradhan, Birendra Raj Pandey, Purnima Shrestha, Sarik Bogati, Recha Shrestha, Jitendra Bahadur Chand and Rajani Thapa.

The energy sharpened considerably once the Top 12 were announced. Prema Lamgada, Arbisha Thapa, Shraddha Adhikari, Deepmala Dhakal, Kashis Subba, Arya Nishaant, Swikriti Gyawali, Sezja Shrestha, Shreeyashi Shrestha, Anshu Kunwar, Bibusha Baasnet and Dr Shitanshu Dhakal. The showcase began with individual walks, each finalist given their moment under the spotlight, drawing every eye forward.

A dedicated Miss Cosmo segment added a jolt of glamour mid-showcase, and the arrival of distinguished guests was marked with its own ripple of applause through the crowd.

Within this celebration, a question emerged, “Who will earn the place in the top 6?”

Once again, the 24 contestants graced the stage with gowns designed by Rai and inspired by Kajaria tiles, capturing the audience's attention with sparkling glitters and coutures tailored to complement every silhouette.

Back again to the subtitle awards, the ‘Dabur Vatika Miss Beautiful Hair’ was granted to Shreeyashi Shrestha. Similarly, Shitanshu Dhakal was entitled ‘The Kathmandu Post Miss Intellectual. ‘Brij Cement Miss Confident’ was awarded to Deepmala Dhakal, Chadani Shrestha won ‘Farmasi Face of the year’ and the title ‘Miss DHI’ went to Sangita Paudel.

Similarly, Shitanshu Dhakal was entitled ‘National Live Miss Empowered Choices’ and Sezja Shrestha was known to be the ‘ENBIO Miss Pristine’, ‘Shree Natraj Miss Sparkling Diva’ was given to Prema Lamgada and finally, as a result of the rigorous voting process from the public, Arbisha Thapa won the ‘Real Miss Popular Choice’ award.

Moving to the moment of expectancy, the top 6 participants were announced with the crowd’s loudest cheers so far. Finalists included Shitanshu Dhakal, Kashis Subba, Deepmala Dhakal, Swikriti Gyawali, Arya Nishaant and Bibhusha Basnet.

The mood intensified as they faced the final question and answer round. This round, as per the hosts, defines the legacy of Miss Nepal.

Pin drop silence engulfed the hall as the finalists picked their questions and were given seconds to answer. This segment carried extra weight given organisers' decision to retain the traditional top-13 question-and-answer format this year in favor of new challenges.

Questions spanning youth engagement, issues faced by Nepali women, ambitions and marriage, and Nepal's identity were asked and the finalists, with voices that echoed nothing but confidence, clarity and agency, answered the prompt questions.

A hush fell as the reigning titleholders took their farewell walk. Luna Luitel, Deepakshika Nepal, Urusha Bhandari and Sony Ghale, with their individual videos displayed on the stage's screen, reminisced what Miss Nepal meant to them, reflecting on their journeys, and the community and sisterhood they gained along the way.

Yet again, the show bounced back to the subtitle awards. ‘Yeti Airlines Women With Wings (Talent Show)’ was given to Bibhusha Basnet, ‘Creative D Studio Miss Photogenic’ to Yukta Paudel, and Deepmala Dhakal won ‘The Hidden Treasure Miss Beauty With a Purpose’.

Then, as the lighting built toward the stage as the grand crowning ceremony arrived. The night closed with the victory of these newly crowned titleholders in celebratory light as finalists, families, and guests spilled into an atmosphere of pure elation, bringing Miss Nepal's most reimagined season yet to a glittering close.

The story has been updated.