THE long wait is over. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has finally announced the coronation date for the international pageant’s 2024 edition in Mexico, and the new queen will be crowned on November 16 (Nov. 17 in Manila).
“History is about to be rewritten…The moment we’ve all been waiting for is just around the corner. Are you ready to witness the most unforgettable night of a lifetime? Live from Mexico… The 73rd Miss Universe competition. This November 14th and 16th at [Arena CDMX] Stay tuned! [crown emoji]” read the caption to a video the pageant posted on social media.
The preliminary competition and national costume show are scheduled on November 14 (November 15 in Manila), while the final competition will be held on November 16 (November 17 in Manila). Both programs will take place at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.
The video also mentioned that 130 delegates are expected to take part in the competition, something that MUO had earlier hinted at. “A new show format” will also be introduced this year, but the organization did not reveal yet the changes that fans should look forward to.
During last year’s staging of the pageant in El Salvador, MUO already announced that Mexico will host the 2024 Miss Universe pageant. And although rumors of the supposed November 16 coronation show have been spreading online, it was only made official when the organization posted the video close to midnight on Friday in Manila, August 23.
This will be the fifth time for Mexico to host the Miss Universe pageant. The North American country has previously staged the global tilt in 1978, 1989, 1993, and 2007. In all those four editions, the Philippines’ delegates did not survive the first cut.
Poised to rewrite the Philippines’ story in Mexico in this year’s edition of the Miss Universe pageant is model and tourism management graduate Chelsea Anne Manalo, who earned her ticket to the international competition in May when she bested 52 other aspirants, including a slew of heavy favorites and seasoned contenders, at the national competition.
Manalo will try to become the fifth Filipino woman to be proclaimed Miss Universe, following Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
Last year’s representative, Michelle Marquez Dee, landed in the Top 10 and earned several other distinctions. The Miss Universe crown went to Sheynnis Palacios, the first winner from Nicaragua. (Armin P. Adina © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
