Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Tickets for the 65th Miss Universe coronation night may be pricey, but pageant fans are determined to watch it live.
Ticket sales began at 10 a.m. Tuesday, and the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that by noon, one-third of the general admission seats were sold.
Ticket prices range from ₱2,000 for general admission to ₱50,000 for VIP seats.
The DOT said nearly half of the upper box tickets, worth ₱4,800, were already sold as well.
The Miss Universe pageant will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena on January 30 at 8 a.m. It will be broadcast live in 190 countries.
Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre said the organizers expect good sales.
Alegre also said pre-pageant rehearsal tickets will be on the market soon, and they will cost 70 percent less than the original price.
Serious pageant fans don’t seem bothered by the hefty price tag of VIP seats.
Ian Mendajar, a pageant doll maker, said he will be watching the coronation night live “with the help of friends.”
As a fan of reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, Mendajar said it will be hard for him to watch the Filipina beauty queen pass on the crown.
For fashion designer Martin Bautista, watching Miss Universe on stage is fulfilling a childhood dream.
“Since I was young I’ve always watched the Miss Universe pageant. I love fashion, that goes hand in hand with seeing beautiful women in their gowns and swimsuits,” he said.
Bautista called the international pageant his “own version of the World Cup.”
