On the morning of November 15, the 73rd Miss Universe semi-finals will take place at Arena CDMX, Mexico, with the participation of 127 contestants - the largest number in the history of the contest, surpassing the record of 94 contestants in 2018. This event marks the first time Miss Universe has returned to Mexico since 2007.

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Huong Ly, Thuy Quynh, Ha Kino and CEO of Miss Universe Vietnam are in Mexico to support Ky Duyen. Photo: MUVN

From Mexico, Miss Universe Vietnam 2024 runner-up Vu Thuy Quynh shared with VietNamNet the vibrant and bustling atmosphere before the semi-final night. She said that Mexico City is currently experiencing a "super traffic jam" due to the large number of people flocking to the contest area, especially near Arena CDMX, where the upcoming semi-final and final nights will take place. Thuy Quynh said that both locals and international visitors are excited to join in the atmosphere of the event.

Accompanying Ky Duyen in Mexico this year are National Director Huong Ly, President of Miss Universe Vietnam Valentine Tran, runner-up Vu Thuy Quynh and beauty Ha Kino.

Thuy Quynh holds the Vietnamese flag to cheer for Ky Duyen in the semi-final night:

Starting from Miss Universe 2023, the organizers have removed age, height and weight restrictions, opening up opportunities to women aged 18 and above. This is a major change to promote diversity and inclusion in global beauty criteria.

Ahead of the semi-final night, several contestants representing their countries were changed for various reasons. Among them, Franki Russell (New Zealand) and Fay Asghari (Iran) withdrew, giving way to Victoria Vincent and Ava Vahneshan. Andrea Radford of Guatemala and Irina Zakharova of Armenia were also replaced due to personal reasons and invalid nationality.

The contest witnessed the return of many countries after many years of absence such as: Cuba, Fiji, Hong Kong (China) and Senegal, along with first-time participants such as Belarus, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates...

Ky Duyen shared that she did her own makeup for the semi-finals:

In the semi-finals, the contestants will perform in swimsuits and evening gowns. Before that, the beauties underwent a closed interview with the judges.

The results from the semi-final night will determine the 30 finalists, including 1 representative voted by the audience and 4 "continental queens". After that, the 12 best contestants will advance to the swimsuit competition, followed by the evening gown and finally the behavioral competition to find the winner.

The semi-final night featured an international jury with prominent faces such as Emilio Estefan - Cuban musician, Eva Cavalli - fashion designer and Lele Pons - Venezuelan-American singer... Notably, designer Michael Cinco from the Philippines and Romero Britto - Brazilian artist, also participated in the jury...

Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios and Miss Universe 2022 R'bonney will host the semi-final night.

Miss Universe 2024 semi-final rehearsal atmosphere:

Minh Nghia

Miss Ky Duyen is radiant, Miss Universe crown criticized for being ugly . On November 14, the ceremony to announce the new crown of Miss Universe 2024 took place in Mexico, one day before the semi-final night.