Miss World 2021 coronation night rescheduled to March 2022
Organizers previously announced the temporary postponement of the pageant’s coronation night, a few hours before it was set to be held on Dec. 16 (Dec. 17, Philippine time), at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, citing health and safety concerns due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the pageant.
Almost a week after announcing the pageant’s temporary postponement, the Miss World Organization said in a statement that the Miss World 2021 finale and coronation night is rescheduled to March 16, 2022. The pageant, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary, will still be held in Puerto Rico.
“We are so excited that we are staying in Puerto Rico to crown the new Miss World!” said Miss World Ltd. president Julia Morley in a statement.
She added, “We have been overwhelmed by the support of the people here! The countdown and final planning has begun. Our team is thrilled that we will show all the wonders that Puerto Rico has to offer as a premier tourism destination to the entire world. We love Puerto Rico.”
Contestants will return to Puerto Rico for the much-awaited coronation night in March. According to Miss World, the pre-recorded content taped throughout Puerto Rico will be broadcast internationally during the finale.
The organization decided to temporarily postpone the coronation night of the pageant citing health and safety concerns as more candidates and members of the staff tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Puerto Rico Health Department, there had been 38 COVID-19 positive cases associated with Miss World—15 members of the staff and 23 contestants.
The Miss World Philippines Organization recently assured pageant fans that the Philippines’ bet, Cebuana Tracy Maureen Perez, tested negative for COVID-19 despite the reported coronavirus outbreak in the pageant.
Perez, who is an early favorite and a frontrunner in the pageant, recently penned a message on her social media pages as she was on her way to the Philippines from Puerto Rico.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for the whole month most especially the past few days while I did my best to keep myself together and give my 100% every single day as I fight for our country, I am now on my way to full recovery—physically, mentally, and emotionally,” she said.
Perez also reflected on the lessons she learned while in the pageant, the friends that she made and the people who helped her along the way.
“I cannot wait to be back in Puerto Rico, to once again spend time with the Filipino community who gave their all in supporting me, to see my sisters again whom I shared an unbreakable bond with, and lastly to continue our fight for our beloved country and for those who are struggling, most especially the single mothers,” she wrote.
She also urged everyone to extend help to the areas hit by the destructive Typhoon Odette, including her hometown in Cebu. Perez said she is currently working out ways to help through the Miss World Philippines and its partners.