Fat Bear Week, the online contest that celebrates the brown bears of Alaska’s Katmai National Park, is back with its biggest bracket so far. Sixteen bears are competing in 2026, up from 12 last year, and the public vote will crown a champion on 29 September.
Key facts
- What: Fat Bear Week 2026, a knockout-style public vote
- Where: Brooks River and Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
- When: voting from 22 to 29 September 2026 (no voting at the weekend)
- Who: the US National Park Service, Explore.org and Katmai Conservancy
- Defending champion: Bear 32, nicknamed “Chunk”, winner in 2025
What happened
The bracket was revealed on 18 September, and voting opened on 22 September. Demand was so high on the first day that the voting site struggled, and organisers extended the first round by a day so that everyone could take part. Last year’s contest attracted more than 1.7 million votes from over 100 countries, according to the National Park Service.
Bears are judged on how much weight they have gained over the summer, and fans compare photos from early summer with the bears’ rounded autumn shapes. The defending champion, Chunk, returns after recovering from a broken jaw.
This year the park also has good news beyond the contest. Katmai’s superintendent, Mark Sturm, said there are more cubs at Brooks Camp than have been seen in a long time.
Why it matters
The contest is light-hearted, but the science behind it is serious. Brown bears must build up enough fat in summer and autumn to survive four to six months of hibernation without eating or drinking. At Brooks River, the key food is sockeye salmon, which migrate up the river each summer to spawn. A fat bear is a sign of a healthy salmon run, and healthy salmon runs depend on clean rivers and well-managed fisheries.
Livestreamed bear cameras have also turned millions of people into bear watchers, building public support for protected areas.
What happens next
The final vote takes place on 29 September, and the winner will be announced that evening, Alaska time. The bears will keep feeding until they enter their dens in late autumn. You can watch them on the Brooks Falls cameras on Explore.org until the end of the season.
Sources
- Fat Bear Week 2026, Katmai National Park and Preserve, US National Park Service
- Fat Bear Week 2026 is here, and voting already “broke the internet”, CBS News
- Fat Bear Week, Explore.org
Learn more in our brown bear and sockeye salmon profiles.
Cover photo: USFWSAlaska, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons