The Reina Mundial del Banano 2026 (World Banana Queen 2026) pageant will hold its final on Friday, September 18, in Machala, Ecuador, with 20 candidates from the Americas, Europe and Asia competing for the crown.
The coronation will take place at the Zoila Ugarte de Landivar park in Machala starting at 8:00 p.m. Ecuador and Peru time, according to the pageant organization. Spain's Alba Saura, who won the 2025 edition, will hand the crown to her successor.
What is the Reina Mundial del Banano pageant
Reina Mundial del Banano is an international beauty competition that brings together representatives from countries linked to banana production, export and consumption. The contest is part of the activities of the Feria Mundial del Banano, or World Banana Fair, and is held in Machala, a city in the province of El Oro known as the banana capital of the world.
Ahead of the final, this year's 20 candidates have taken part in a schedule of cultural, tourism and banana-industry-related activities in the lead-up to the coronation.
How to watch the final
The final will be broadcast live on Gamavision and VitoTVO, according to information released by the pageant organization. The broadcast will also be available through the Reina Mundial del Banano YouTube channel, giving fans of the contest a way to follow the coronation online.
Full list of candidates
Twenty candidates are competing for the Reina Mundial del Banano 2026 crown, representing Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, El Salvador, France, Hong Kong, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Switzerland and Venezuela.
- Belgium: Ellen Van Den Noortgaete
- Bolivia: Veronica Alba Ruiz
- Brazil: Jamille Victoria Beretta
- Canada: Brianna Christopher
- Colombia: Luisa Trujillo Reina
- Costa Rica: Amanda Urena Zuniga
- Ecuador: Domenica Maely Cuenca
- United States: Melanie Rego
- El Salvador: Melanie Nicole Cortez
- France: Ouadja Medina
- Hong Kong: Beata Yue Zhang
- Honduras: Nory Belen Lobo
- Mexico: Alejandra Correa Rodriguez
- Nicaragua: Dara Jossmara Castillo
- Paraguay: Natalia Daniela Duarte
- Peru: Leiya Lee Lopez Briones
- Puerto Rico: Karina Bonilla Crespo
- Dominican Republic: Bibeybi Baez
- Switzerland: Vanessa Williams
- Venezuela: Deilymar Gomez
Among the participants, Ecuador's representative, Domenica Maely Cuenca, stands out as the current Reina de El Oro, competing as the host country's candidate for the international crown.
The winner will succeed Alba Saura of Spain, who holds the title from the 2025 edition.
