The time has finally come. After weeks of competition, we have come down to the moment to crown the next Miss Universe Philippines. Across multiple challenges and rounds, fifty delegates competed as they proved themselves worthy of being named Miss Universe Philippines 2026. In just a couple of days, that queen will be revealed during coronation night as Ahtisa Manalo passes on the Jewlmer-made crown to her successor, who will go on to represent the Philippines at the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant this November in Puerto Rico.
It’s an exciting time for many pageant fans for what promises to be a moment in Philippine pageantry and pop culture this year. Here’s what you need to know about the big night.
RELATED: For These Queens, This Isn’t Their First Time Competing in Miss Universe Philippines
The History-Making Host
Miss Universe Philippines 2026 is breaking new ground this year, and it doesn’t have to do with one of the queens. Serving as the coronation night’s host is Marina Summers. Some of you may remember when Marina performed during the opening number of the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 coronation night, making her the first drag queen to do so on the MUPH stage. Now, she’s back and making history once again as the first transgender woman to host a Miss Universe Philippines coronation night. It just goes to show that inclusivity in pageantry isn’t just limited to the contestants.
MUPH Goes P-pop
Lighting up the Miss Universe Philippines stage is P-pop boy group BGYO, who are slated to perform during the evening. The group has an assortment of tracks to choose from, but we have a feeling All These Ladies may be performed on stage, given its lyrics about fawning over special women, and the MUPH 2026 queens are definitely exceptional women.
Only Thirty Queens Will Be Competing in the Semifinals
Fifty queens entered to compete in Miss Universe Philippines 2026. But due to the new round-based system implemented during the preliminaries, only thirty delegates will be moving forward to the semifinals. That group will be composed of the Top 10 queens who received the most votes in the online voting, who were already announced last April 25, ten queens chosen by the selection committee to be revealed on May 2, and ten queens chosen as wildcard picks. From swimsuit, evening gown, and the infamous Q&A, these semifinalists will be whittled down until one queen is named the winner at the end of the night.
Global Guests From the Pageantry World
For the coronation night, a handful of special guests will be flying into the Philippines to attend the show, making the program even more loaded with pageantry star power. Watching the queens live will be Miss Universe Asiana Vice President Nawat Itsaragrisil, who is also the national director of Miss Universe Thailand and the president of the Miss Grand International pageant; Miss Universe 2025 1st Runner-up Veena Singh, National Director of Miss Universe China Owen Chue, and Miss Universe Asia 2025 Zhao Na.
With Fans as a Virtual Judge, Public Voting Matters
One of the biggest changes implemented in this year’s edition is the greater emphasis and impact of public voting. It’s helped queens move forward in the preliminary rounds, and it will be used to help queens reach the finals. The coronation night will implement the use of live scoring, allowing viewers to rate candidates in real time via the Maya app.
Giving fans a virtual collective seat on the judging panel, the system will let users rate each performance from 7.0 to 9.9, which is inspired by the Miss Universe judging system of the 1990s. Those scores will be a factor in determining which queens move forward, meaning that voting has never been more crucial in a delegate’s success.
Where, When, and How You Can Watch
The first weekend of May is going to be a busy one for pageant fans as the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Coronation Night is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at 7:00 PM. It will once again be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, allowing for thousands of fans to catch the action live and in person.
Speaking of live, tickets for the coronation night are available via SM Tickets and will cost anywhere from 800 pesos to 11,300 pesos. For those staying at home, they’ll be able to watch the event live on TV via One PH via Cignal Play for free at 7 PM. It will also be livestreamed on the Cignal app and on Empire Philippines’ YouTube channel starting at 7 PM. And for those who missed it or want to relive the night, TV5 will air a rerun on May 3 at 9 AM.
Featured Image and Photos: MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
The event takes place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, starting at 7:00 PM.
Marina Summers is set to host, making history as the first transgender woman to host a Miss Universe Philippines coronation night.
The coronation night will be broadcast live on TV via One PH (Cignal Play), livestreamed on the Empire Philippines YouTube channel, and available on the Cignal app.
Fans can act as virtual judges by providing real-time ratings (from 7.0 to 9.9) for candidates via the Maya app, which will influence the scores of the semifinalists.
Out of the fifty initial candidates, thirty will advance to the semifinals, consisting of the Top 10 online vote-getters, ten committee choices, and ten wildcard picks.
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