Simona Manojlovic Opens Miss World in Ao Dai

Simona Manojlovic, Serbia’s Miss for 2026, took part in the opening ceremony of the 73rd Miss World pageant in Vietnam on August 12. The ceremony was held at Halong Marina Square, in Ha Long Bay, where she stood alongside 110 other national delegates.

The opening marked the contestants’ first joint appearance before the public. All of them walked out in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai. The host country chose to open the program with its own culture rather than a fashion show, and that turned out to be the most talked about moment of the night. The stage was set right on the bay: giant LED screens, light and sound effects, limestone cliffs and water in the background. Organizers built the show for an audience of several thousand.

This is the first time Vietnam has hosted the pageant. The year also carries its own milestone: Miss World marks 75 years since it was founded, and 111 delegates from countries and territories are competing for the title.

Who Is Simona Manojlovic

A native of Novi Sad, she has held the Miss Serbia title since this year and arrived in Ha Long after months of preparation at home. Everything that happens in Vietnam happens on camera: since arriving, the delegates have gone through official filming, photo shoots and interviews, meetings with organizers and a sightseeing program built around the host country’s landmarks.

Before the ceremony itself came a formal Welcome Dinner, where the delegates were introduced one by one. The opening at Halong Marina closed out that first week.

What Is Beauty With a Purpose, and What Did Simona Enter

The part of the competition that never reaches the stage is called Beauty With a Purpose. Every delegate submits a humanitarian project, and it is judged just like her stage performance.

Simona Manojlovic’s project is called “Family Is Strength: Choose Life. Together.” It focuses on preventing addiction among young people, and the list it covers is broader than what first comes to mind:

• alcohol
• drugs and medication
• gambling
• the internet and social media
• video games

The idea is for the family to be the first line of support, ahead of school and institutions. The project was already published on the pageant’s official platform, so it was not put together just for one night in Vietnam.

How Much Longer Does the Competition Run?

The opening marked the start of the competitive stage, and the festival runs for several weeks. During that stretch, delegates go through competition challenges, cultural programs, humanitarian activities and presentations of their Beauty With a Purpose projects.

For audiences in Serbia, that means Simona Manojlovic will stay in the global spotlight for a while yet, and this was not a single appearance and then done. Results from individual challenges are announced throughout the festival, so the standings build up gradually rather than only on the final night.

Why the Joint Walk in the Ao Dai Was the Host’s Message

The delegates’ joint walk in the ao dai carried the clearest message of the ceremony. Instead of letting each delegate appear in her own country’s dress, Vietnam put the ao dai on all of them at once, stamping the entire opening as its own.

For the Serbian delegate, it was also her first contact with the judges and with the audience following the broadcast. Nothing is decided at the opening. It is where an impression is made. Serbia’s flag flew among the flags of the world throughout the ceremony.

Introducing national delegates from more than a hundred countries and territories was the centerpiece of the evening, and it was the moment Serbia’s name was said aloud for the first time at this year’s pageant. Simona Manojlovic went through that part of the program in the same outfit as everyone else, which was exactly the point.