Miss Universe Philippines 2026 kicks off coronation night
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The search for the next and fifth Filipina to bring home the crown for the Philippines begins as the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 coronation night officially opened at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday evening, May 2.
A pretaped introduction of the delegates where they showcased their national costumes was shown before reigning queen Ahtisa Manalo took the stage to officially open the finale show. Manalo wore her iconic “jellyfish” gown which she wore during the Miss Universe 2025 evening gown competition.
The show kicked off with a production number from P-pop boy group BGYO as 50 delegates from across the Philippines danced to the beat in their deep blue ensembles.
The pageant organization had earlier announced the first 10 semifinalists who garnered the highest votes in the third preliminary voting round through “U Vote,” earning automatic spots in the Top 30.
READ: Miss Universe Philippines 2026: What to expect at the coronation show
Reigning queen Ahtisa Manalo, who finished as third runner-up in the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, is set to crown her successor by the end of the night.
The new queen will represent the Philippines in the 75th edition of Miss Universe 2026 in November in Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, Filipina drag superstar Marina Summers made history as the first transwoman to host the Miss Universe Philippines pageant. She previously performed in the 2024 edition.
Filipino singer Jason Dy is expected to serenade the audience later in the night as the crowd anticipates the announcement of the full Top 30 semifinalists.
The coronation is being broadcast live on One PH and is currently streaming on the Empire PH YouTube channel and the Cignal Play mobile application. /edv
