How to watch the 71st Miss Universe competition
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
Dozens of pageant winners from around the world will gather in New Orleans Saturday evening to compete in the 71st Miss Universe competition.
Here’s what you need to know about the international beauty pageant — and how you can watch:
84 women will compete in New Orleans
A total of 84 competitors will assemble at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Saturday, according to the Miss Universe website.
Unfortunately for fans hoping to catch a last-minute flight to Louisiana, tickets for both the 11 a.m. dress rehearsal and 7 p.m. competition are sold out, according to TicketMaster.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said In a statement on the Miss Universe website she was “honored” to host the pageant.
“The City of New Orleans and the Miss Universe Organization share common values of celebrating inclusion, culture and the empowerment of women,” said Cantrell in the statement.
“Former Miss Universe delegates and winners have gone on to become surgeons, diplomats, politicians and business leaders, and they all champion social causes that are important to them. Hosting this event demonstrates the significant global impact an international city like New Orleans has on the world’s tourism and cultural stages,” she went on.
“We are honored to host the 71st annual Miss Universe pageant and show people around the globe why New Orleans is the best in the world at executing major events, festivals, conferences and conventions with a culture that is absolutely unmatched.”
The pageant includes personal statements, in-depth interviews, national costumes, and swimsuit and evening gown competitions. The final winner will be chosen by a selection committee consisting of 2010 Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete, musician Big Freedia, model Mara Martin, 1998 Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliam, actress and model Emily Austin, skin care entrepreneur Olivia Quido, host and journalist Myrka Dellanos, author and Roku vice president of marketing and merchandising Sweta Patel, Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan, and marketing executive Kathleen Ventrella.
The 70th Miss Universe, Harnaaz Sandhu, will crown her successor
The competition closes with the reigning Miss Universe, Harnaaz Sandhu, crowning her successor. Sandhu was the first woman representing India to win the Miss Universe title in 21 years.
Sandhu took home the title in southern Israel at the end of 2021. Eighty women competed in the competition, which was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey.
Sandhu is a vocal advocate for menstrual equity, inspired by her mother’s career as a gynecologist, according to the Miss Universe website. She is also an actor and an advocate for women’s rights and climate change awareness.
Jeannie Mai Jenkins and Olivia Culpo will host this year’s competition
Television host and stylist Jeannie Mai Jenkins will serve as the host for this year’s Miss Universe Competition alongside Olivia Culpo, who won Miss Universe in 2012.
“The only thing better than hosting the 71st @missuniverse pageant tomorrow night is my lip synching,” wrote Jenkins on Instagram on Friday.
Additionally, musicians Big Freedia, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Amanda Shaw, Tank and the Bangas, and Yolanda Adams are set to perform at this year’s competition, according to an Instagram post from the official Miss Universe account.
You can watch the pageant on the Roku Channel
For the first year in the pageant’s history, the Roku Channel is the Miss Universe competition’s official broadcaster. In past years, the competition typically aired on Fox.
Fans hoping to watch the new Miss Universe be crowned live can check it out on Roku.com, Roku TVs, and the Roku App at 6 p.m. CST. The contest will be broadcast in Spanish on Telemundo.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
