Fat Bear Week 2026, the annual tournament at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, begins voting on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The single-elimination contest features 16 brown bears who have spent the summer gorging on sockeye salmon and other foods to build fat reserves for winter hibernation. People can cast votes online between 12 and 9 p.m. ET daily to decide which bear has gained the most weight.
The competition began in 2014 as a one-day event to highlight the bears of southwest Alaska. Since then, the tournament has grown in size and international participation. In 2025, the National Park Service reported that the event received more than 1.7 million votes from individuals in more than 100 countries. This year’s bracket has expanded to 16 competitors, up from 12 in the previous year.
Defending champion 32 Chunk returns to the bracket after recovering from a broken jaw sustained last year. Other prominent contenders include 151 Walker, known for his pear-shaped body; 164 Bucky, who specializes in catching salmon at the Brooks Falls plunge pool; and several mother bears, including 132 and 806. Naturalist Mike Fitz stated that the bears reached "peak fat" by late September, with over 100 individual bears identified at the Brooks River via webcams this season.
The scale of the event is significant for the park’s outreach, reaching millions of voters globally. This year, park officials highlighted a record-high number of 19 bear families and 37 cubs at Brooks River, reflecting a new generation of bears entering the ecosystem. For the viewers, the event provides free access to numerous live cameras, such as those at Brooks Falls, and interactive sessions with park rangers who answer questions about wildlife management and bear behavior.
The competition sets a precedent for how federal agencies use digital platforms and multimedia partnerships, such as the one with Explore.org, to engage the public in conservation efforts. Following the start of voting on Sept. 22, the tournament will proceed through daily head-to-head matchups. The final winner of Fat Bear Week 2026 is scheduled to be decided and announced on Sept. 29. Until then, the bears will continue their efforts to fish for salmon through late October before entering their dens for hibernation.