Miss Universe Cuba 2026 makes a historic leap in its organization by incorporating, for the first time, a preliminary gala scheduled for August 18, two days before the grand final night on August 20.
Both events will take place at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay, south of Miami, as confirmed by the event director in an interview with Noticias Telemundo.
Prince Julio César, a Venezuelan with 26 years of experience in the beauty pageant industry, described the news as an unprecedented milestone: “I tell you it’s a historic event because it’s the first of all the pageants we send to Miss Universe that is making this innovation. We are following the exact same format as Miss Universe, just as it is.”
The inclusion of the preliminary aligns Miss Universe Cuba with the standards of the international pageant, which also holds a qualifying round before its grand final.
The 20 official candidates for this edition, publicly presented at the Feather Fantasy Fashion Show held on July 15 at the Miami Theatre, are preparing with a demanding schedule: classes from Monday to Friday, from six to ten in the evening, at the competition venues.
"It is important for me to prepare them in diction, runway, and protocol, to learn how to do their makeup, their bodies have to be sculptural, because we definitely have to compete," explained Prince Julio César.
The contest is primarily supported by Cuban industries and companies from the exile community in Florida, a backing that the director publicly appreciated for sustaining "the most important queen of the Cuban people."
The jury for the grand final will feature renowned figures: Alicia Machado and Giselle Blondet have confirmed their participation as judges that night.
The winner will succeed Lina Luaces Estefan, who reached the Top 12 of Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand, the best result for Cuba in the modern competition. Previously, in the first edition of 2024, Marianela Ancheta had made it to the Top 30 in Mexico City.
"Marianela Ancheta made it to the top 30 in 2024, Lina Luaces reached the top 12, and we are moving into this third year, which reaffirms that wonderful project that took 57 years to become a reality in 2024," recalled Prince Julio César.
The symbolic weight of the contest for the Cuban diaspora is central to the director's vision. He quoted a message he received from a follower: "For many years, I had to support the contestants from another country; thank you for giving us the opportunity to shout the name of my own country in the Miss Universe pageant."
Beyond physical appearance, Prince Julio César emphasized the qualities that the future representative must possess: "She needs to be an intelligent woman, a woman with a vision, a woman with determined goals and objectives, but above all, she must be the voice of that community."
He added that “the stronghold of the Cuban community lies here in Florida” and that the winner must convey “a clear and powerful message” related to freedom.
Cuba has a long history in international beauty pageants that dates back to 1927, although contests were banned on the island after the Revolution.
The modern contest operates from Miami, and this third edition, featuring its unprecedented preliminary gala, solidifies a project that the Cuban exile community has transformed into a platform for identity and freedom.
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