Signature Event

Arizona Spelling Bee State Finals 

A participant in a yellow shirt holds a large trophy on stage at a spelling bee event, with another participant standing in the background.

Arizona Spelling Bee Finals

Join us Saturday March 21st, 2026 at The Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix as 28 spellers from the county level move on to the Arizona Spelling Bee Finals. This bee is coordinated by AEF and is the highest level of spelling bee competition within the State of Arizona. The top two Arizona Spelling Bee Champions go on to represent the State of Arizona in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Schedule

Registration

Student participant registration is at 7:45 a.m. All spellers must be onstage by 8:30 for dress rehearsal.

Prelims

First round of bee competition begins at 9:30 a.m.

Finals

Final round of bee competition will begin at 1:15 p.m.

Bee Structure & Policies

The Arizona State Spelling Bee is an in-person spelling bee following all of the rules and procedures dictated by the Scripps National Spelling Bee rules.

Attendance Policies

AEF does not recommend bringing small children to the spelling bee. In order to protect each speller’s ability to compete undistracted, all attendees must be able to remain silent during the competition.

Arizona Spelling Bee Champion Award Package

The following prize package is awarded the top two Spellers:

  • Hotel and airfare for the champion and a chaperone
  • $800 check for the champion
  • Represent Arizona in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Road to the National Spelling Bee

The champion of our state competition will represent Arizona in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will take place in the Washington, D.C., area in May. The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place May 24-30th. Visit spellingbee.com beginning May 1, 2026, for a full competition schedule.

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