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They proclaim the Queen of the Santiago Carnival 2026 in a gala that marks the relaunch of the cultural festival
Santiago. – The Santiago City Council proclaimed Stefany Guzmán, representative of the La Esmeralda sector, as Queen of the Santiago Carnival 2026, in a gala held in the City Hall amphitheater that reaffirms the relaunch and the new projection of the main cultural manifestation of the heart city.
The contest, which brought together 10 candidates from different sectors of the municipality, left Loreli González (La Herradura) as the first runner-up, Virmairi Ramírez (La Joya) as the second runner-up, Luisana Joaquín (Las Dianas) as the third runner-up, and Scarlett Madera (Ensanche Bolívar) as the fourth runner-up, after an evaluation that valued poise, charisma, and cultural commitment.
During the night, special recognitions were also awarded: Miss Superación to Lidia Brito (Villa Olga); Miss Photogenic to Loreli González; and Miss Popularity and Miss Social Communication to Luisana Joaquín, distinctions that highlighted the integral performance of the participants throughout the process.
In the same scenario, José Castillo was crowned as the Lion King of the Santiago Carnival 2026, in recognition of his decades-long career as a cultural and sports manager, closely linked to the development and preservation of the Santiago carnival.
As part of the incentives, the new queen received RD$100,000, while all the contestants were benefited with labor contracts for one year in the Mayor’s Office of Santiago, a measure that reinforces the institutional support to the contest and the participating youth.
One of the most applauded moments was the farewell of Samantha Dispre, Queen of Carnival 2025, who closed her reign with a catwalk full of emotion and recognition from the public.
Mayor Ulises Rodríguez highlighted that the Santiago Carnival is entering a stage of consolidation, order, and projection, as a result of the joint work between the Mayor’s Office, the organizers, and the carnival participants, which has allowed the rescue and strengthening of this tradition.
“Santiago has a luxury carnival today, which is lived, felt and identifies us as a city,” said the mayor.
For his part, the CEO of the Carnival, Adalberto Rodríguez, explained that the relaunch responds to a strategy defined through a masterplan, aimed at turning the carnival into a more cultural, innovative event with international reach, with projection in scenarios such as FITUR and a greater integration of the cultural and community sectors.
The jury was chaired by Francisco Sanchis and comprised of Elvira Castro, Ney Zapata, Mauricio García Salomón, Marlon Anzellotti, Lisbeth Pimentel, Dr. Vanessa Tejada, Persio Amadis, and Gilbert Mejía.
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