Miss Universe contestants showcase glamorous looks in first round of competition

The preliminary rounds will determine who makes it to the semi-finals

Miss Bahrain Evlin Khalifa competes in the evening gown competition during the preliminary round of the 71st Miss Universe in New Orleans. All photos: AP

Miss Lebanon Yasmina Zaytoun

Miss India Divita Rai

Miss Philippines Celeste Cortesi

Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel

Miss Slovak Republic Karolina Michalcikova

Miss Russia Anna Linnikova

Miss Portugal Telma Madeira

Miss Singapore Carissa Yap

Miss Seychelles Gabriella Gonthier

Miss Switzerland Alia Guindi

Miss Puerto Rico Ashley Carino

Miss Saint Lucia Sheris Paul

Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri

Miss Thailand Anna Sueangam-iam

Miss The Bahamas Angel J Cartwright

Miss Trinidad and Tobago Tya Jane Ramey

Miss Ukraine Viktoria Apanasenko

Miss Uruguay Carla Romero

Miss Turkiye (Turkey) Aleyna Sirin

Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel

Miss Vietnam Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau

Miss Spain Alicia Faubel

Miss Peru Alessia Rovegno

Miss Panama Solaris Barba

Miss Poland Aleksandra Klepaczka

Miss Norway Ida Anette Hauan

Miss Nepal Sophiya Bhujel

Miss Korea Hanna Kim

Miss Myanmar Zar Li Moe

Miss Nicaragua Norma Huembes

Miss Netherlands Ona Moody

Miss Namibia Cassia Sharpley

Miss Greece Korina Emmanouilidou

Miss Kosovo Roksana Ibrahimi

Miss Laos Payengxa Lor

Miss Malaysia Cheam Wei Yeng

Miss Indonesia Laksmi De Neefe Suardana

Miss Great Britain Noky Simbani

Miss Italy Virginia Stablum

Miss Haiti Mideline Phelizor

Miss Guatemala Ivana Batchelor

Miss Mauritius Alexandrine Belle-Etoile

Miss Mexico Irma Cristina Miranda Valenzuela

Miss Malta Maxine Formosa Gruppetta

Miss Ghana Engracia Afua K Mofuman

Miss Iceland Hrafnhildur Haraldsdottir

Miss Honduras Rebeca Rodriguez

Miss Germany Soraya Kohlmann

Miss France Floriane Bascou

Miss El Salvador Alejandra Guajardo

Miss Ecuador Nayelhi Gonzalez

Miss Equatorial Guinea Alba Isabel Obama Moliko

Miss Finland Petra Hamalainen

Miss Dominican Republic Andreina Martinez

Miss Curacao Gabriela Dos Santos

Miss Croatia Arijana Podgajski

Miss Czech Republic Sara Mikulenkova

Miss Colombia Maria Fernanda Aristizabal

Miss Canada Amelia Tu

Miss Cayman Islands Chloe Powery-Doxey

Miss China Sichen Jiang

Miss Chile Sofia Depassier

Miss Costa Rica Maria Fernanda Rodriguez Avila

Miss Cambodia Manita Hang

Miss Cameroon Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly

Miss Bulgaria Kristina Plamenova

Miss Brazil Mia Mamede

Miss British Virgin Islands Lia Claxton

Miss Belize Ashley Lightburn

Miss Belgium Chayenne Van Aarle

Miss Australia Monique Riley

Miss Bhutan Tashi Choden

Miss Bolivia Maria Camila Sanabria Pereyra

Miss Armenia Kristina Ayanian

Miss Albania Deta Kokomani

Miss Aruba Kiara Arends

Miss Argentina Barbara Cabrera

Miss Angola Swelia Da Silva Antonio

Contestants from 86 countries turned up in their glamorous best as the first round of the Miss Universe contest began on Wednesday in New Orleans.

The preliminary competition, featuring an evening gown round and a swimsuit round, will determine who will make it to the semi-finals, the qualifying contestants for which will be announced early on the final coronation night on Saturday.

A national costume competition was also held separately on Wednesday.

The 71st Miss Universe will crown the 2022 winner as the event was postponed last year. Another competition, to pick the 2023 winner, is expected to be held later this year.

Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures from the evening gown competition

Regional representatives this year include Miss Bahrain Evlin Khalifa and Miss Lebanon Yasmina Zaytoun.

Khalifa, 24, made waves in the swimsuit round wearing a burkini and a customised cape with the message: "Arab Women should be represented. Muslim women can also become Miss Universe".

The cape also featured the word "equality" written in Arabic.

For the evening gown round, she wore a glittery silver dress, complete with a head covering, by Filipino designer Furne One, whose Amato label is headquartered in Dubai.

Zaytoun, 20, was crowned Miss Lebanon 2022 in a ceremony in Beirut in July, held for the first time since 2018.

On Wednesday, she wore a glamorous custom gown by Lebanese designer Charbel Zoe featuring glittery frills.

Zaytoun, who is from Kfarchouba, a village in southern Lebanon, is a journalism student and besides modelling, hosts the With Yasmina Show on Instagram, which she describes as an educational show and on which she interviews notable Lebanese media and sports personalities.

In November, the Miss Israel Organisation said it will not send a delegate for the first time in seven decades. Israel hosted the last Miss Universe competition in 2021, in the southern resort city of Eilat, where Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu took home the crown.

Miss Universe is one of the longest-running and most-watched beauty competitions in the world; it is broadcast in 165 countries and seen by more than half a billion people annually.

Sandhu hosted the preliminary competition on Wednesday along with newscaster Randi Rousseau.