Eamon Bishop has been crowned Mr Bear Europe 2026, securing an outstanding victory in Lisbon and bringing one of the bear community’s most prestigious titles home to Ireland.

Representing the Dublin Bears and following his success as Mr Bear Ireland 2025, Eamon competed against seven exceptional finalists from across Europe: Sergio (Germany), Iain (Portugal), Jóhann (Iceland), Alexandre (France), Diogo (Belgium), Greg (Italy) and Marcin (Poland). Following a week of competition and voting, Eamon was announced as the new Mr Bear Europe, a proud moment for both Ireland and the wider Dublin Bears community.

The competition combined votes from three different stages. An online public vote, held between June 15 and July 5, accounted for 25% of the final result. Participating national delegations cast their votes between July 6 and 12, contributing 50% of the overall score. The remaining 25% came from the live audience during the Mr Bear Europe event in Lisbon, culminating in the final election on Saturday, July 18.

 

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Representing the strength, inclusivity and camaraderie that define the bear community, Eamon’s victory reflects his longstanding dedication to building welcoming spaces and meaningful connections across Europe.

During his acceptance speech in Lisbon, Eamon highlighted the importance of lasting relationships within the community, saying, “I’ve seen it over the years, titles come and go, but friendship stays and friendship builds.”

Looking ahead to his year as Mr Bear Europe 2026, Eamon expressed his commitment to continuing the work of those who came before him while strengthening friendships between bears throughout the continent.

Addressing the audience, he added, “I’ll be your daddy bear, I’ll be your grandad bear, I’ll be your brother, I’ll be your sister. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, but most of all, I want to be your friend.”

Dublin Bears have expressed that they are immensely proud of Eamon’s achievement and invite members of the community, friends and supporters to join in celebrating this remarkable success. As Eamon begins his year as Mr Bear Europe 2026, the organisation say they look forward to supporting him as he represents Ireland, promoting friendship, inclusion and the continued growth of the bear community across the continent.

Dublin Bears is a community-focused organisation dedicated to creating inclusive and welcoming spaces for bears, cubs and friends within the LGBTQ+ community in Dublin and beyond.