PREVIEW: Glamour and beauty in Sao Paulo for Miss Universe 2011

Sep 11, 2011, 5:05 GMT

Sao Paulo - Glamour, elegance and a touch of eroticism are to take the stage late Monday in Sao Paulo for the decisive round of the 2011 Miss Universe pageant.

A total of 89 beauty queens from around the world are hoping for the prestigious title, but only one will leave Brazil's largest city as the winner.

Millions of TV spectators in 190 countries around the world will be watching the two-hour gala broadcast from Credicard Hall, organizers say.

The names of 16 semifinalists are set to be announced Monday, before the gala, with one of them being for the first time chosen by the internet community.

The pageant, organized by US tycoon Donald Trump and the US television network NBC, is a real media show. This is the first time it is held in Brazil.

The age of competitors ranges between 18 and 27. They have been in Sao Paulo for two weeks, visiting museums, attending a football match and going to the jockey club. They played football on the beach, danced hot samba rhythms, and of course showed off their bodies on the catwalk in tiny bikinis and elegant evening gowns.

In the decisive gala, a seven-member jury will choose the successor to Mexican Ximena Navarrete, 23, Miss Universe 2010. Contestants will be evaluated in three categories: swimming costume, evening gown and an interview.

Singer Bebel Gilberto, daughter of Brazilian Bossa Nova legend Joao Gilberto, is to perform at the event, as will Brazilian pop star Claudia Leitte.

Local beauty Priscila Machado has been booed in the run-up to the gala, reportedly by supporters of other contestants including Venezuela's Vanessa Goncalves.

Read more about Brazil