Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders

Sixteen bears are facing off for Fat Bear Week 2026, the highly anticipated tournament among the chunkiest bears at the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The bracket for this year's single-elimination contest expanded from last year's 12 competitors and includes the defending champion, Chunk. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 22, bear lovers will get to vote on their favorite contenders and choose which bear has packed on more pounds for the winter season.People can vote online between 12 and 9 p.m. ET each day, and voting will continue through Sept.