The University of Alabama at Birmingham will host the 2026 Alabama State Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 21.
Each year, hundreds of schools from across the state participate in spelling bees leading up to this final competition. This year 53 students in fourth through eighth grades will compete for the Alabama State Spelling Bee Champion title.
The Alabama State Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Alabama Kiwanis Foundation. The bee is also supported by Scripps, as well as hundreds of schools across the state.
This will be the fourth year UAB has hosted the competition. The private event will be held in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences’ University Hall auditorium, with check-in for students starting at 10 a.m. The bee will begin at noon.
Due to seating limitations, this event is not open to the public, though the student’s family members, teachers and school administrators may attend in support of their local student.
The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held May 24-29 in Washington, D.C. The broadcast schedule for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals will be announced May 1.
Last year’s Alabama Spelling Bee winner was Snigdha Pati, 9, of Birmingham, Alabama, who correctly spelled “jurisprudence” to win the 2025 title. Competing in the national competition, Snigdha was eliminated in the written test.
