Location and date On 16 December 2010,
Donald Trump, owner of the
Miss Universe Organization, and Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced that the 60th anniversary of the competition will take place in
São Paulo, Brazil on 12 September 2011. This came months after Trump negotiated with the media conglomerate
Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação to host the pageant in São Paulo. According to Joao Carlos Saad, president of Grupo Bandeirantes, the network was pleased that they have reached an agreement with Miss Universe to host the pageant in São Paulo, Brazil. The event aired on
NBC in the United States, with a Spanish simulcast on
Telemundo.
Selection of participants Contestants from eighty-nine countries and territories were selected to compete in the competition. Six of these delegates were appointees to their positions after being a runner-up of their national pageant or being selected through a casting process, while three were selected to replace the original dethroned winner.
Replacements Evalina van Putten was appointed to represent Curaçao after
Monifa Jansen, Miss Curaçao 2011, did not meet the age requirements. Jansen competed at
Miss Universe 2012. Mayra Aldana, the first runner-up of
Nuestra Belleza El Salvador 2011, was appointed to represent El Salvador after Alejandra Ochoa, Nuestra Belleza Universo 2011, suffered from chronic respiratory illness.
Mai Phương Thúy, Miss Vietnam 2006, was to represent Vietnam at Miss Universe, but did not for personal reasons. The Ministry of Culture of Vietnam was granted permission to appoint
Vũ Thị Hoàng My, who was the first runner-up of Miss Vietnam 2010, as their representative.
Returns and withdrawals The 2011 edition saw the returns of the Cayman Islands, Chile, Estonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam. Portugal last competed in
2002, Chile last competed in
2006, Saint Lucia last competed in
2007, Turks and Caicos last competed in
2008, while the others last competed in
2009. Norway and Zambia withdrew.
Sara Nicole Andersen of Norway was crowned ten days after the arrival of contestants in São Paulo. Due to this, Andersen withdrew from the competition. However, Andersen competed in the pageant
the following year. Zambia withdrew after its respective organization failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate. ==Results==