Internet is angry after Miss Grand International cancels India as host country, stating ‘5-star standards were not met’

Miss Grand International has cancelled its 2026 event in India, citing unmet contractual commitments. The pageant will now take place in Thailand.

Miss Grand International (MGI) has come under fire after the pageant body announced it is cancelling India as its host country this year. In an official announcement video posted on the pageant's Instagram page, MGI stated that due to India's ‘failure to fulfil contractual commitments,’ it has decided to end all activities in the country.

The pageant body further stated that its agreement required ‘five-star hospitality and production standards’, but India did not meet them. Now, Miss Grand International 2026 will be held in Thailand, from September 18 to October 10.

Miss Grand International cancels India as host country

The statement released by Miss Grand International said, “Miss Grand International would like to officially announce that the organisation has decided to discontinue all activities related to Miss Grand International 2026 in India and relocate the remaining activities of the competition to Thailand.”

“These (contractual) requirements are essential to ensuring the safety, comfort, and overall experience of our contestants, as well as maintaining the professional standards and integrity of Miss Grand International. Unfortunately, despite discussions and efforts to address the situation, the agreed contractual standards have not been met,” the statement added.

Read the full statement here:

The Rachel Gupta controversy

The decision comes a year after Rachel Gupta, the Miss Grand International 2024, prematurely relinquished her title in May 2025 after a public fallout with the pageant. Rachel was the first Indian winner of the title and had alleged that her decision was made because she was facing a toxic environment, poor living conditions, and a lack of support during her reign.

However, at the time, the Miss Grand International organisation stated that it had terminated her title, claiming she had broken her contract by taking on outside projects without permission. Additionally, Thai businessman, Miss Grand International president and founder, and Miss Universe Vice President (Asiana), Nawat Itsaragrisil, accused her of having surgery and mocked her appearance.

This has happened before?

A similar incident took place in 2024 when the Miss Grand International organisation terminated Cambodia’s role as co-host and relocated the remaining competition activities and contestants to Thailand, citing the same contractual issues. 74 contestants were flown back to Bangkok, Thailand, to continue the competition.

Later, Miss Grand Cambodia issued a counter-statement announcing its withdrawal from the international organisation, and national candidate Sotheary Bee withdrew from the contest.

How did the internet react?

The internet was surprised by the organisation's decision, and many stated that if India can host pageants for so many years, including the recent 72nd Miss World pageant in Hyderabad, the country can surely host MGI.

One user sarcastically commented, “It's better to host every year in Thailand only,” while another added, “I knew this was coming - It happened to Cambodia a few years back - they put some drama and host again in Thailand - now it’s happening to India.”

“Another win for Rachel Gupta,” a user wrote, referring to the controversy between Rachel and Nawat, and another mentioned, “We are just celebrating here in India because it got cancelled in India.”

“Oh gosh.. Is India really lacking 5-star hospitality for MGI, or is MGI unable to afford India's 5-star hospitality? Money matters,” an angry fan commented. “If India can host top-tier pageants like Miss World back-to-back, then why not a third-grade one like Miss Grand? Nawat just wants an excuse to create drama,” someone else wrote.