bee week
There's so much more to the Scripps National Spelling Bee than the nationally-televised competition. Bee Week is a week-long experience for spellers and their families that includes special events, educational workshops, excursions into Washington, D.C., and more.
bee week 2026
constitution hall
For the first time since 1957, Bee Week will take place between two different venues.
The new home of the National Competition is DAR Constitution Hall, a National Historic Landmark Building and the largest concert hall in Washington, D.C. The National Competition will begin with the Preliminaries on Tuesday, May 26, and conclude with the Finals on Thursday, May 28.
jw marriott washington, d.c.
The host hotel of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee is the JW Marriott Washington, D.C. All Bee Week events, outside of onstage competition segments and the Bee Week Bash, will take place at the JW Marriott. The week will kick off with Speller Registration on Sunday, May 22.
2025 champion
Faizan Zaki of Dallas Texas, represented the Dallas Sports Commission in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Faizan became the champion by correctly spelling "éclaircissement." He was runner-up in 2024.
bee keeper magazine
Each year, the Bee publishes the Bee Keeper magazine with a full list of the national competitors, feature stories and information about the competition.
The 2026 issue celebrates the Bee's return to downtown Washington, D.C., and provides a rundown of spellers who previously competed at the National level.
this year's national competition
This year, 247 spellers earned their spots as national competitors by advancing through regional spelling bees, competing against students representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense Schools in Europe. Spellers will also represent five countries outside the U.S.: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.