Photolympics 2026: What It Is, What Happens on the Day, and Over PHP 1,000,000 in Prizes
One day a year, the creative community of the Philippines stops creating for itself and creates for a title. Thousands of photographers, videographers, students, and content creators march into a mall behind their camera brands, a theme nobody has seen is revealed on stage, a three-hour clock starts, and by nine that night one of them is the Photolympics Grand Champion. Photolympics 2026 is on Friday, December 4, at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia. This is what it is, what happens on the day, and what is on the line: PHP 450,000 in cash for the champions, and more than PHP 1,000,000 in prizes given away before the night is over.
What Photolympics is
Photolympics is the on-the-spot creative competition CameraHaus has run for years, and the largest gathering of its kind in the country. It started with photographers. In 2026 it belongs to the whole creative community: still shooters, videographers, action cam creators, and students, each with a category of their own. The format is built on one rule that makes it different from every other photo contest: nobody knows the theme until the morning of the event. There is no shooting in advance, no portfolio, no editing for weeks. You hear the theme on stage, you have until mid-afternoon, and the entry you hand in is the one you made that day.
It is also a team sport. Every participant shoots under a brand. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Lumix, Ricoh GR and the other partner brands each field a team, a coach, a cheer squad, and a booth. The brands judge their own entries first and send their Brand Champion forward, then CameraHaus judges choose the Grand Champion from among them. The winner's name goes on the list. The winner's brand gets bragging rights for a year, and, by a tradition that starts this edition, first pick of booth location next time.
- Winston Cinco · Pentax
- Ed Tuazon · Fujifilm
- Chris Andres · Canon
- Jude Bantug · Nikon
- James Ona · Canon
- Emman Foronda · Nikon
- Angelo Criman · Nikon
Seven Grand Champions so far. On December 4, there will be an eighth.
What happens on the day
If you have never been, the day has a shape, and the shape is the same every year. Here is December 4 from call time to the last envelope.
- 6:30 AM · Call timeCheck in at your brand's booth in the Music Hall, or walk in and register on the spot. CameraHaus staff will be at every booth to help. There is free taho while you wait.
- 9:00 AM · The Parade of TeamsA marching band leads Team CameraHaus and every brand team on a loop through the mall and into the Music Hall. Teams wear their colours. Past Grand Champions carry the Photolympics torch in and pass it on.
- After the parade · The showCoach interviews, opening remarks, the group photo, each brand's video invite on the big screen, and the Cheer Dance and Team Chant Competition, where brand teams, executives included, perform for the crowd.
- Late morning · The theme is revealedOne theme, announced on stage. The moment the room goes quiet and then very loud.
- 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM · Shooting properThree hours. Go. While the creators are out, Small Olympic Games run in front of the stage for everyone who stayed.
- 1:00 to 7:00 PM · The main stageBrand workshops, talks, live shoots, and product launches, one slot per major brand. Free ice cream at 3:00 PM.
- 2:30 PM · Entries dueHand in at your brand's booth. Brand judging follows, then each brand sends its champion and two runners-up to CameraHaus.
- Early evening · CameraHaus judgingThe Grand Champion is chosen from the Brand Champions. The Collegiate, Action Camera, and Video champions are decided alongside.
- 7:00 PM · People's Choice, entertainment, and the raffleThe crowd votes on the entries, the stage turns into a show, and the raffle runs through the evening.
- 9:00 PM · Winners announcedBrand Champions, category champions, and the Photolympics 2026 Grand Champion.
Four ways to win
For most of its history Photolympics has been one contest for photographers. In 2026 it is four, and three are brand new, because the community that shows up now shoots stills, cuts reels, mounts action cams, and comes from campuses as much as from camera clubs.
The theme is revealed on the day. Shoot from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM on any camera your brand fields. Every brand crowns a Brand Champion and two runners-up, and CameraHaus names the Grand Champion that night.
PHP 150,000 cashA competition of their own, built for students and judged among students. Twelve schools each send a School Champion, and all twelve compete on the Music Hall stage. Students can also enter the other three categories.
PHP 100,000Photolympics’ first Action Camera photo contest, with its own prize and its own champion. Shoot the day's theme in the same three hours. The only requirement: every entry is shot on an action camera.
PHP 50,000 cashOver PHP 1,000,000 in prizes
The cash is the headline, but it is less than half of what leaves the Music Hall that night. Every brand awards its own Brand Champion and runners-up before the Grand Champion is named, and those prizes are gear: camera bodies, lenses, tripods, bags, lights, memory cards, from the brands that make them. Then the raffle runs through the evening, open to every registered participant, with prizes from the partner brands and from CameraHaus. Add it up and more than PHP 1,000,000 in prizes goes home with the people in the hall. You do not have to win the Grand Championship to leave with a camera.
What to expect if it is your first time
Call time is 6:30 AM and the parade is at 9:00. Be there for the parade. It is the best part of the morning and the group photo happens right after.
Register under the brand you shoot with. That is your team for the day, your judges in the first round, and your cheer squad.
Do not plan a shot. Plan to be ready for anything. The best entries every year come from people who read the theme, walked out, and looked.
Entries are due at your brand booth at 2:30 PM, as large JPEGs with complete EXIF data, in colour. Shoot JPEG or export one before you come back.
Workshops and launches from every major brand run until 7:00 PM, then voting, the show, and the raffle. The winners are announced at 9:00.
Editors, stylists, the friend who runs the page, the one who only shoots on a phone. The parade, the cheer dance, the workshops, the raffle, the free taho and ice cream. Photolympics is a full day for anyone who makes things, not just the people competing.
Registration
Registration opens online on October 26. Register early and it costs less, and it is the only way to be sure of a team shirt.
October 26 to November 18, 2026
From November 19, 2026
Register at the Music Hall on December 4
Official brand shirts are guaranteed only for participants who registered online, subject to availability. Walk-ins can still join and compete.
What to bring
- Your camera, charged, with spare batteries and an empty card
- A way to hand in a large JPEG at 2:30 PM, whether that is in-camera JPEG, a laptop, or a card reader
- Your brand's team shirt if you have one, and comfortable shoes for the parade
- Water, a hat, and sunscreen. Three hours of shooting goes outside
- A valid ID for registration and the raffle
December 4. Be in the hall.
Early bird registration is PHP 100 from October 26 to November 18, then PHP 200 from November 19. Walk-ins are welcome on the day. The video theme drops first on CameraHaus social media. Follow, and tell your team.
Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook See Photolympics 2025Frequently asked questions
When and where is Photolympics 2026?
Friday, December 4, 2026 at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Call time is 6:30 AM and winners are announced at 9:00 PM.
How much is the prize pool?
PHP 450,000 in cash goes to the four category champions: PHP 150,000 for Regular OTS, PHP 100,000 for the Collegiate Edition, PHP 50,000 for Action Camera, and PHP 150,000 for Video. Including brand prizes for Brand Champions and runners-up and the raffle, more than PHP 1,000,000 in prizes is given away on the day.
Do I need to be a professional photographer to join?
No. Photolympics is open to hobbyists, students, videographers, content creators, and professionals alike. You register under a brand on the day and work the same theme as everyone else, in the category that fits how you create.
What camera can I use?
Any camera fielded by your brand team for the Regular OTS. The Action Camera category is its own photo contest, and its only requirement is that entries are shot on an action camera. Students compete in the Collegiate Edition and may also enter the other categories.
How much is registration?
PHP 100 early bird from October 26 to November 18, 2026, then PHP 200 from November 19. Walk-ins are welcome on December 4. Official brand shirts are guaranteed only for online registrants, subject to availability.
Is the Video category shot on the day?
No. It is Photolympics’ first-ever Video Category and the theme is to be announced soon. Follow CameraHaus on Facebook and Instagram for the drop. The Video Champion is announced on December 4.
Who organises Photolympics?
CameraHaus, the Philippines' largest camera and creative gear retailer, with its partner camera, lens, and accessory brands. Read how the 2026 edition was unveiled to the brands in Photolympics 2026 Is Official.
See you on December 4
Seven names are on the Grand Champion list, and this year there are four titles to chase. The theme is a secret, the clock is three hours, and over a million pesos in prizes is waiting in the Music Hall. Whatever you create with, charge your batteries, pick your team, and come find out whose name is next.
Last year's recap: Photolympics 2025. The 2026 brand launch: Photolympics 2026 Is Official. More CameraHaus events: Events.