Miss Universe contestants show off their vibrant and outlandish costumes as they kick off the competition

The Miss Universe pageant is backmost for 2024 and the costumes are arsenic dazzling and outlandish arsenic ever. 

On Thursday nighttime successful Mexico City, the glamorous contestants enactment connected an extravagant show astatine the 73rd Miss Universe preliminary and nationalist costume competition, showcasing sparkling outfits that correspond what they emotion astir their homelands. 

127 pageant queens took to the signifier successful glitzy ensembles including British contestant Christina Dela Cruz, who dressed up arsenic an oak tree, and Japan's Kaya Chakrabortty who wore a bedazzled kimono and roller skates. 

The stunning women put their champion ft guardant successful a bid to marque it into the apical 30, which volition beryllium announced astatine Saturday night's Miss Universe last earlier the victor is crowned.

This is simply a record-breaking twelvemonth for the contention arsenic it is the archetypal twelvemonth 30 contestants volition spell done to the final, up from 20 successful erstwhile years.

Even though the expansive last is the competition's main event, the nationalist costume circular astatine the preliminary is simply a instrumentality favourite and this year's queens did not disappoint.

Nature and botanicals were the inspiration for galore of the costumes, including Miss Guatemala, Ana Gabriela Villanueva's beaded leafage show and Miss Belarus Eleonora Kachalovskaya successful a fantastical floral garb. 

Miss Argentina, Magalí Benejam, sported a sparkling toucan atop her caput successful a rainforest-themed display, with bluish feathers cascading down from her arms to correspond a waterfall. 

Similarly, Miss Guatemala, Ana Gabriela Villanueva, had thenar and fern leaves exploding from her silhouette arsenic she wore a sequined one-piece which paid homage to her country's indigenous women and children. 

Miss Great Britain dressed up successful a leaf-adorned jumpsuit with a immense golden crown to correspond the UK's 121 cardinal oak trees. 

Miss Ecuador, Tema Mara's larger-than-life costume featured a exemplary of her homeland's capital, Quito's historical churches balanced crossed her shoulders. 

Tatiana Calmell of Peru looked similar a aureate goddess, not letting her Miss Universe sash get successful the mode of her luminous costume. 

Miss Netherlands, Faith Landman, stunned onlookers arsenic her blue-and-white gown transformed to look similar an tremendous portion of pottery, arsenic a motion to the accepted Dutch craft. 

Taking a unsocial approach, Miss Chile, Emilia Dides, represented 1 of her country's favourite crippled shows Sábado Gigante by wearing the program's roulette wheel. 

Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Jenelle Thongs, went for a feathered carnival look and was fixed the Miss Congeniality grant for the contestant who has the astir friendly, approachable and benignant personality. 

Miss Cuba, Marianela Ancheta, took inspiration from the Cuban goddess Oshún, associated with love, fertility, and purity. 

Miss Bolivia, Juliana Barrientos, adorned a stunning skirt and headdress successful the signifier of an owl and Miss Jamaica, Rachel Silvera, adorned a magnificent ruffled formal paying homage to the emblem of her location nation.

Switzerland's Laura Bircher channelled a look reminiscent of Disney's Frozen arsenic she adorned a sparkling corset with a ruffled skirt and gem-encrusted sleeves. 

Melloney Dassanayake representing Sri Lanka wore a stunning diagnostic engraved with accepted markings and Miss France, Indira Ampiot, donned a diamante corset and a afloat silk skirt successful the colours of the flag. 

Miss Dominican Republic, Celinee Santos, who is among 1 of the favourites to triumph the competition, wowed the assemblage successful a pearly sea-shell benignant getup. 

One of the much outlandish costumes of the nighttime was worn by Miss Czech Republic, Marie Danci, who wore a fabulously outrageous gown inspired by the contented of gingerbread making. 

Ashley Callingbull is the archetypal Indigenous pistillate to beryllium crowned Miss Universe Canada and proudly wore a spectacular multi-colour afloat gown arsenic a tribute to her heritage. 

Looking each spot the fairy princess, Jennifer Colón Alvarado represented Puerto Rico successful an enchanting achromatic gown with her location country's flag. 

Appearing predictably patriotic to an over-the-top degree, Miss USA, Alma Cooper, dressed up arsenic American fig Uncle Sam with a Fourth-of-July-style firework display.

Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, was a Viking goddess: 'This costume tells the communicative of those singular figures - women who navigated the seas, led their clans, and celebrated the quality of beingness done their courage' she said connected Instagram. 

After the nationalist costume round, the ladies stripped disconnected their lavish costumes to locomotion the runway successful co-ordinated swimwear outfits. 

On Saturday, 30 finalists volition beryllium announced including 1 fan-voted favourite who volition past instrumentality to the signifier for the swimsuit round. 

From there, the 30 finalists volition beryllium whittled down to conscionable 12 pageant queens and they volition vie successful the evening gown and question-and-answer rounds. 

This year's judges see societal media prima Lele Pons, 1978 Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner, Colombian vocalist Fariana Telemundo, big Jéssica Carrillo, euphony shaper Emilio Estefan, Brazilian creator Romero Britto, manner icon Eva Cavalli, and decorator Michael Cinco. 

Host and erstwhile Miss Universe victor Olivia Cuplo volition extremity the nighttime by announcing who volition beryllium crowned this year's victor by reigning 2023 winner Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.

The 2024 crown, named 'Lumiere De L'Infini', has been described by president and laminitis of Miss Universe Raul Rocha as 'the astir beauteous successful the past of Miss Universe'. 

Designed and handmade by Filipino jeweller, Jewelmer, it features 23 uncommon aureate pearls, the nationalist gem of the Philippines. 

Belarus, Eritrea, Guinea, and the United Arab Emirates are being represented astatine the Miss Universe lawsuit for the archetypal clip this year.

Seven nations person made their instrumentality to the contention including Cuba who was past represented successful 1967 and Fiji successful 1981. 

Panama contestant, Italy Mora, was unluckily disqualified conscionable days agone aft she allegedly broke the pageant's strict rules by leaving her edifice to sojourn her fellow without permission.