(CNN) — The 2023 Miss Universe pageant will take place tonight in El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador. (It will air in the United States from 8 p.m. ET on the Roku Channel.) Eighty-four contestants — each representing their home countries — will be in contention, but most only briefly: at the beginning of the competition, the field will be narrowed to 20 semi-finalists, selected based on their performance in the pageant’s preliminary stage and, in one case, a global fan vote.

As the night progresses, the field will be further winnowed; by the time the pageant’s evening gown round plays out, only 10 contestants will still be in the running for the Miss Universe title (and tiara, of course). While it is tradition for the eliminated beauty queens to walk the stage, en masse, to show off their looks at this point, it’s usually just a brief — and tightly-choreographed — glimpse at all the sequins, corsetry and fishtail trains.