New Delhi | The much anticipated 71st edition of Miss World will be held in India from February 18 to March 9, the organisers said on Friday.

With its latest edition, the coveted international beauty pageant is making a return to the country after nearly three decades.

The pageant will commence with "The Opening Ceremony" and "India Welcomes the World Gala" by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in New Delhi on February 20.

It will conclude with a grand finale at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on March 9 and will be streamed and telecast across the world.

The pageant will unfold across various venues, including the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and will see 120 contestants from countries across the globe participate in various competitions and charitable initiatives.

The announcement was made at press conference here that was attended by the current Miss World, Karolina Bielawska of Poland, along with former winners Toni Ann Singh (Jamaica), Vanessa Ponce De Leon (Mexico), Manushi Chhillar (India), and Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico).

“My love for India is no secret and having the 71st Miss World Festival in this country means a lot to me. A big thank you to Jamil Saidi for his Herculean efforts to make this return to India a reality. We have assembled the very best team for the 71st edition," Julia Morley, chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organization, said in a statement.

India last hosted the international pageant in 1996. Chhillar was the most recent Indian to win the pageant, having bagged the crown in 2017. Earlier, Reita Faria Powell, Aishwarya Rai, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey and Priyanka Chopra Jonas won the competition.