Nagaland’s capital Kohima is set to host the Miss Northeast 2026 grand finale on February 7 at the Regional Centre of Excellence for Music & Performing Arts (RCEMPA), Jotsoma.

Thirteen finalists- two each from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Sikkim, and one from Mizoram will be vying for the title.

President of the Beauty and Aesthetics Society of Nagaland (BASN) Mele Pucho said that although it was not Nagaland’s turn to host the pageant, the event has been shifted to Kohima due to unforeseen circumstances that arose in Assam in 2025, where the pageant was originally scheduled to be held.

He also clarified that BASN did not approach the state government to host the event this year as Nagaland had recently concluded Miss Nagaland, and the organisers were mindful of “not burdening too many stakeholders”.

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“We have decided to keep this edition low-key. While the show will be grand, the prize money and other privileges will be modest,” Pucho said, adding that the winner’s prize money will be around ₹1 lakh.

The Miss Northeast pageant is jointly organised by the Northeast Beauty Pageant Organisation, a collective body comprising all official state pageant organisers from the region. All state organisers are expected to arrive in Kohima by February 6.

This year’s edition will feature two designers from Nagaland while renowned choreographer Theja Sekhose will manage the choreography. The panel of judges will be disclosed only during the finale, it was informed.

Nagaland had earlier hosted the first edition of Miss Northeast in 2022, while another edition was hosted in Sikkim. The 2026 finale marks the second time Kohima will host the Miss Northeast grand finale, a move Pucho described as a privilege for BASN.