Atlanta will host this year’s Miss Universe pageant, the Miss Universe Organization confirmed on its social media accounts Thursday evening.
The pageant's televised competition will be held at Tyler Perry Studios on Dec. 8, the day after the SEC Championship football game is played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The pageant will be held at the movie studios just weeks after a Democratic presidential debate.
The international pageant will host dozens of women from six continents over 10 days in the capital city. Contestants are expected to begin official activities on Nov. 28 and the final night of competition will be Dec. 8. Contestants typically spend time in the host city making appearances, rehearsing and competing in preliminary competitions ahead of the final night.
“For many of the more than 90 women who are traveling to the United States for the competition, their time in Atlanta will be their first time in America,” said Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, in a statement. “It’s important for us to not just pick a city with the infrastructure to support the influx of tourism, but one that is welcoming and we know will create a wonderful experience for our contestants.”
Cheslie Kryst, the current Miss USA and a North Carolina native, was excited to learn the competition would be close to home. In the past five years, Miss Universe has been held in Bangkok, Thailand; Manila, Philippines; Miami; and Las Vegas.
“I love the city and I am excited to show contestants from around the globe the southern hospitality we are famous for,” Kryst said in a statement. “Atlanta is a city bursting with so much culture and opportunity. I can’t wait to see which one of us gets to call Atlanta the city where she became Miss Universe.”
With the pageant finals a day after the SEC Championship, it should make for a busy weekend for Atlanta’s airport and hotels.
Ticket information for the pageant can be found at MissUniverse.com. The pageant will air on Fox at 7 p.m. Dec. 8.
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