Twenty women competing for the Miss Universe Cuba 2026 crown will take the stage at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay on Thursday, Aug. 20, marking the first time the pageant's final gala has been held in South Miami-Dade.
The winner will represent Cuba at the global Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20, at the Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Miami Herald.
Prince Julio César, the Venezuelan lawyer and designer who directs Miss Universe Cuba, announced the venue change at a July 13 fashion show in Medley. The pageant held its first two finals at Milander Park in Hialeah in 2024 and 2025. César obtained the franchise in 2024, bringing Cuban women back to the global competition after a 57-year absence. Cuba had not competed since 1967, when political tensions tied to the U.S. embargo ended the island's participation.
"Hialeah is the city with the most Cubans, and I'm not the only one saying it — Google says it too," César told el Nuevo Herald at the July 13 event, explaining why one contestant now carries a sash for the city of Hialeah rather than a Cuban province.
Eneisy Rodríguez, a media professor, actress and dancer, wears the Hialeah sash. She is the first in the pageant's history to represent a South Florida city instead of a Cuban region.
Preliminary award winners
Daniela Reyes, representing Pinar del Río, won the People's Choice Award on July 13 with 18.5% of the online vote. Reyes studied social communication at the University of Havana and appeared on Cuban television programs "Piso 6" and "A otro con ese cuento" before building a following of 1 million Instagram followers.
Close behind was Mia Donadio, a Florida International University graduate in international relations and granddaughter of local political figure Pepe Cancio, who earned 17.9% of the vote. Donadio is a returning contestant who also competed in 2025.
The field also includes Lorena Suárez, who emigrated from Cuba at age 8 and placed first runner-up at the global Miss Intercontinental pageant in January in Egypt.
Yramsi Barcena, from the province of Mayabeque, was named Top Model of the Year at the same event and received a $5,000 prize from La Belle Med in Doral. Lizlauren Mosquera, representing La Habana, won best feather look and received a $5,000 beauty treatment prize from Rosabella Med Spa.
