Miss Universe S'pore not going to Puerto Rico on Nov. 24 to compete due to franchise dispute

Miss Universe Singapore Vion Erico Tan will not be going to Puerto Rico to compete in the Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 24, 2026.

This is due to an ongoing franchise dispute.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos will also not be represented.

Miss Grand International (MGI) said in an Oct. 21 statement that “consultation with the relevant parties, national organisations and the six representatives” led to the decision.

The statement added: “Their non-participation shall not constitute a voluntary withdrawal, relinquishment, surrender, abandonment or waiver of any contractual rights held by MGI.”

The Miss Universe Singapore Organisation said on Oct. 22 that it fully supports the decision and the team had been "actively preparing" for Tan's participation and will continue with preparations "of representing Singapore at Miss Universe 2027, in a different host country".

In an Instagram post, Tan said the news hit her harder than she can "put into words": "I need a little time to gather my thoughts and process everything before I share more about what comes next."

Franchise dispute

The non-participation stemmed from an ongoing franchise disagreement, where franchise agreements across the six South-east Asian nations were not recognised.

The dispute is between Miss Universe Eastern and media conglomerate JKN, which owns the Miss Universe pageant.

JKN holds the legal rights and licensing to the Miss Universe brand and operates as the Miss Universe Organization.

The franchise rights for the six countries are owned by Miss Universe Eastern, led by Thai pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil.

JKN had previously stated in September 2026 that Miss Universe franchise agreements across the six Southeast Asian countries were not recognised, raising questions about their representatives' eligibility to compete.

MGI – also owned by Itsaragrisil – said in its statement that it "respects Puerto Rico and its people" and "does not wish to see the host destination itself unfairly affected by a corporate dispute unrelated to them".

Rehearsals and promotional events in Puerto Rico start on Nov. 8.

The grand finale will be on Nov. 24.