The 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue — AKA the issue that keeps the lights on — doesn’t drop in full until May, but we’ve got a sneak peek at the models — including Alix Earle, Camille Kostek, Achieng Agutu, Meredith Mickelson, and Penny Lane — and breathtaking scenery that will be gracing the pages of this year’s issue.
Photographed by Ruven Afanador, this year’s production took SI‘s latest crop of models to Botswana to pose amidst the tall grasses and majestic trees of some of the country’s most beautiful wetlands.
Check out the photos below.
Alix Earle
Earle is returning for her third year in a row. Last year, she scored the digital cover. Maybe this year, she’ll get the print cover too.
Alix Earle
(Ruven Afanador for Sports Illustrated)
Penny Lane
Another three-pete, Lane co-won SI‘s 2023 Swim Search open casting call and made her official debut in 2024.
Penny Lane
(Ruven Afanador for Sports Illustrated)
Achieng Agutu
Co-winner of the 2023 Swim Search, Agutu is from Kenya and is also marking her third consecutive appearance in the Swimsuit Issue.
Achieng Agutu
(Ruven Afanador for Sports Illustrated)
Camille Kostek
This former NFL cheerleader is making her ninth consecutive appearance in the swimsuit issue.
Camille Kostek
(Ruven Afanador for Sports Illustrated)
Meredith Mickelson
If first timer Mickelson — a rookie in SI parlance — looks familiar, it may be because you’re already familiar with her acting work on shows including Find Your Friends, Euphoria and The Beauty.
Meredith Mickelson
(Ruven Afanador for Sports Illustrated)
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