The World Comes to Sri Lanka for the Grandest Night in International Male Modelling Sri Lanka is preparing to welcome the international fashion and modelling community as the 24th Manhunt International World Final 2026 reaches its grand finale in Colombo on 9 September 2026.

 

The Grand Final will be held at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Colombo, bringing together contestants representing countries from around the world for an evening of international fashion, entertainment, glamour and celebration.

The event marks a significant moment for Sri Lanka as the country takes centre stage in one of the world’s longest-running international male modelling competitions. More than a competition to identify a successful male model, Manhunt International has developed into an international platform celebrating fashion, personality, confidence, individuality, talent, communication and cultural exchange.

Manhunt International was established in 1993, with its roots tracing back to an earlier male modelling competition in Singapore. The international competition was created through a partnership involving Rosko Dickinson of Australia and Alex Liu of Singapore, with the vision of creating a global platform for men to enter the modelling and fashion industries.

The inaugural Manhunt International World Final was held on Australia’s Gold Coast in 1993, with Thomas Sasse of Germany becoming the first Manhunt International winner. Over the years, the competition has travelled to major destinations across Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, China, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. t has become recognised as one of the longest-running international male model competitions, helping discover and promote modelling talent from different countries and cultures. The current President of Manhunt International, Rosko Dickinson, has been closely associated with the competition since its formative years.
The competition has also evolved beyond conventional ideas of a male beauty contest. Contestants are assessed through areas including runway modelling, fashion presentation, swimwear, formal wear, personality, communication, photography and other challenges.

The ultimate objective is to identify an individual who can represent the Manhunt International brand internationally while serving as a positive ambassador for fashion, modelling and youth. The 2026 World Final comes to Sri Lanka at a particularly significant time for the country’s participation in Manhunt International. In the 2025 World Final in Bangkok, Thailand, Sri Lankan representative Piyumal Sithum Pattuwearachchi achieved an outstanding First Runner-Up position, one of the country’s strongest performances at the international competition. Piyumal also won the Swimwear Digital Winner title. France’s Adonis Renaud eventually won the 2025 Manhunt International title.
Piyumal’s achievement has created an added sense of anticipation around Sri Lanka’s participation in the 2026 World Final.

Representing the host nation this year is Ishanka Pramuditha, who will carry Sri Lanka’s hopes onto the international stage as the country hosts the world’s leading male model search. The 2026 competition therefore gives Sri Lanka the opportunity not only to host the World Final but potentially to build on the remarkable result achieved by Piyumal the previous year.

As the host nation’s representative, Ishanka will have the unique responsibility of representing Sri Lanka before an international audience while competing against contestants from around the world. His participation is expected to attract considerable local attention, particularly following Piyumal Sithum’s First Runner-Up achievement in 2025.

The Sri Lankan representative will take part in the various preliminary activities and judging segments leading up to the Grand Final, where the ultimate titleholder will be selected.

 

The 2026 World Final programme will take place in Sri Lanka from 3 to 10 September, giving contestants the opportunity to experience Colombo and other aspects of Sri Lankan hospitality, culture, fashion and tourism.

The programme includes a series of major events and judging activities, including international fashion presentations, a Gala event, a Fashion Show, a Peace Parade, preliminary judging and a Swimwear Show, before the Grand Final on 9 September. One of the special highlights will be the Peace Parade, carrying the message: “One World – One Humanity – World Peace.”

 

The parade will bring international contestants together with Sri Lankan participants and guests in a public celebration of friendship, unity and international understanding. The concept reflects one of the important values behind international competitions such as Manhunt International: bringing people from different countries and cultures together through a common platform.

The climax of the week will be the Grand Final on 9 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Colombo.

The venue will provide the setting for a spectacular international production combining fashion, music, entertainment and modelling. After several days of judging and appearances, the strongest contestants will progress towards the final stages, where they will compete for the prestigious Manhunt International title.
The evening will ultimately culminate in the crowning of the Manhunt International 2026 titleholder.
The winner will inherit the title from Adonis Renaud of France, who won the 2025 World Final in Bangkok. Sri Lanka’s Piyumal Sithum finished as First Runner-Up in that competition, making the transition of the crown in Colombo particularly meaningful for the host nation.

 

Sri Lanka’s International Event Team
The Sri Lankan edition is being led by an experienced local organising team.

Arjuna Senanayake, the National Director for Manhunt International Sri Lanka, is overseeing the Sri Lankan franchise and the country’s hosting of the World Final.

 

The event is being directed by Johann Peries and Jagath De Almeida, who serve as the Event Directors responsible for the planning and execution of the World Final in Sri Lanka.

 

Together, the team is working with the international Manhunt International organisation and a network of Sri Lankan partners to deliver a World Final that meets international standards while showcasing the country’s hospitality, culture and creative industries.

Strong Support from Sri Lanka’s Leading Partners
The World Final has attracted support from several leading Sri Lankan organisations.
City of Dreams is the Hospitality Partner and will host the prestigious Grand Final at Cinnamon Life, providing an international-standard setting for the culmination of the competition. Fairway Colombo is the Accommodation Partner, supporting the international contestants and delegations during their stay in Sri Lanka.
SriLankan Airlines is the Official Airline Partner, supporting the international movement of contestants and delegations and connecting the World Final with Sri Lanka’s national carrier.
These partnerships reflect the scale of the event and the involvement of Sri Lanka’s hospitality, aviation and entertainment sectors in welcoming an international audience. More than a Modelling Competition

 

The significance of Manhunt International 2026 extends beyond the Grand Final stage.
For Sri Lanka, hosting the event creates an opportunity to showcase the country to an international audience through the contestants, national directors, international delegates, media and social-media networks associated with the competition. The contestants themselves become ambassadors of the experience they receive in Sri Lanka. Their exposure to the country’s hospitality, culture, food, fashion, tourism destinations and people can generate international visibility well beyond the duration of the event.

The competition also creates a platform for Sri Lankan fashion designers, photographers, stylists, hospitality providers, event professionals and creative industries to work alongside international participants.
A Celebration of International Friendship At the heart of Manhunt International is the meeting of people from different countries and cultures. Contestants arrive in Sri Lanka as competitors, but the experience is also about friendship, cultural exchange and understanding. This spirit is particularly relevant to the 2026 World Final, with the Peace Parade and its message of “One World – One Humanity – World Peace” forming an important part of
the programme. The event demonstrates how fashion and entertainment can become platforms for bringing people together.

On 9 September 2026, the spotlight will fall on Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Colombo as the world’s leading male modelling competition reaches its defining moment. For the contestants, it will be the culmination of months of preparation and the opportunity of a lifetime. For Ishanka Pramuditha, it will be the chance to represent his country on home soil and follow the path created by Piyumal Sithum’s outstanding First Runner-Up achievement in 2025. For the international Manhunt International organisation, it will be another chapter in a legacy that began in 1993. And for Sri Lanka, it will be an opportunity to show the world that the island is ready to host major international events with world-class hospitality, production and professionalism. The crown will go to one man. But the stage belongs to the world — and in September 2026, that stage will be Sri Lanka.

 

Event: Manhunt International World Final 2026
Edition: 24th Manhunt International World Final
Grand Final: 9 September 2026
Venue: Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Colombo
Host Country: Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Contestant: Ishanka Pramuditha
Previous Sri Lankan Contestant: Piyumal Sithum Pattuwearachchi – First Runner-Up, Manhunt International 2025
2025 Winner: Adonis Renaud – France
President, Manhunt International: Rosko Dickinson
National Director – Sri Lanka: Arjuna Senanayake
Event Directors: Johann Peries and Jagath De Almeida
Hospitality Partner: City of Dreams
Accommodation Partner: Fairway Colombo
Airline Partner: SriLankan Airlines
Theme of Peace Parade: “One World – One Humanity – World Peace”
Established: 1993