The Eurovision Song Contest Asia was launched today, with ten countries announced as competing in the first edition of the competition on November 14 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ten years after first being announced as in the planning, the Eurovision Song Contest Asia will take place this November in the Thai capital. A total of 10 countries have been announced to date as competing in this first edition of Eurovision Asia, with the final to be held on November 14. The competition is the first multinational spin-off of the Eurovision Song Contest, and comes as the Eurovision Song Contest marks 70 years since its first edition.
The countries and broadcasters confirmed to date as taking to the stage in Bangkok are:
🇧🇩 Bangladesh – NTV
🇧🇹 Bhutan – Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS)
🇰🇠Cambodia – TV5 Cambodia
🇱🇦 Laos – Vientiane Capital Television (VTE9)
🇲🇾 Malaysia – Media Prima (TV3)
🇳🇵 Nepal – Himalaya TV
🇵🇠Philippines – ABS-CBN
🇰🇷 South Korea – ENA (SK Telecom / KT Group)
🇹🇠Thailand – Channel 3
🇻🇳 Vietnam – Vietnam Television (VTV 3)
The number of participating countries and broadcasters is expected to grow before the final is held in November. The contest will also be partnering Zoop, a new social media app, where creators can earn based on the engagement their posts receive. Zoop will be the “Official Digital Platform and Fan Engagement Partner”, which will see “Live broadcast, fan interaction, exclusive drops, prediction games and behind-the-scenes access.”
How will it work?
Like the Eurovision Song Contest, each country’s participation is organised by a participating broadcaster. Each participating broadcaster is expected to select its entry through holding a national final in their country. The format of the national selections will be revealed in the coming months, with some countries opting to hold multi-week selections.
The rules of the contest will match those of the Eurovision Song Contest, meaning that a song must not exceed 3 minutes in length and no more than 6 people can be on stage. The winner will be determined by 50% televoting and 50% jury voting.
Who is organising the competition?
The Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 is being organised by the European Broadcasting Union, Voxovation, S20 Productions and Channel 3 of Thailand.
The European Broadcasting Union has organised the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957 and is a union of 110 member organisations. Voxovation holds the licence to the Eurovision Song Contest Asia and is developing additional Eurovision formats across the globe. S20 Productions is a Thailand-based live entertainment and production company. Channel 3 is one of Thailand’s leading broadcasters having launched in 1970.
How will it be different from the Eurovision Song Contest?
Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the winning country will not automatically host the next edition of the competition. A bidding process will be held after the 2026 contest to determine where the 2027 contest will be held. This is similar to a system used for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest during periods of its history, where broadcasters bid to host the contest.
Image Source: Corinne Cumming / EBU
In addition, the contest is currently just a one-night finale, with no semi-final taking place. As the contest grows and expands, contest organisers have stated they hope to get to the stage of holding semi-finals when the number of countries participating necessitates it.
In contrast to the European Broadcasting Union organised contest, the participating broadcasters in Eurovision Asia are not public service broadcasters. Instead organisers have directly negotiated with leading broadcasters in countries to take part. This means that there is a mix of private broadcasters (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea and Thailand) and public broadcasters (Bhutan and Vietnam).
How can I watch the contest?
The Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will be broadcast live on television across the ten participating broadcasters announced to date. Internationally, the contest will be available to watch on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. Closer to the competition, non-participating broadcasters who may wish to air the broadcast may be announced.
Why the Eurovision Name?
Speaking to the press for the launch of the competition, it was confirmed that the Eurovision name was requested to be a part of the show by the participating broadcasters and contest team. According to Martin Green, the Eurovision name is not viewed as region specific across the globe and instead signifies a music competition.
Reactions to the Launch
Speaking about the formal launch of the competition, Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, said:
“As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, it feels especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent.
This is about evolving Eurovision together with Asia, building s omething that reflects the voices, identities and ambitions of the region, while staying true to what has always made the Contest special.
Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be shaped by the artists, broadcasters and audiences who make it their own, continuing our shared journey of being United by Music.”
With Peter Settman, CEO & Co-Founder of Voxovation, adding:
“From day one, our ambition has been to build the Eurovision Song Contest Asia together with the region’s best creative talent, creating a show that truly reflects Asia’s identity and creative energy.
Together with S2O Productions, we are shaping a show where artists and fans connect across borders in new ways, through participation, community and deeper engagement beyond the stage, with ZOOP helping bring that fan experience to life.
I grew up watching Eurovision, singing in front of the TV, dancing to the winners at the disco and now seeing my own kids just as excited, predicting the outcome. To bring this incredible show to a new continent is something very special.”
Eurovision Asia’s History
Plans for an Asian version of the Eurovision Song Contest have been in the works for nearly twenty years. This iteration is the second attempt at the Eurovision Song Contest in Asia, and was first announced in March 2016 as the Asian spin-off to the Eurovision Song Contest. Originally, the format was to be co-produced with the Australian broadcaster SBS. However, in 2021, SBS dropped plans for the contest five years after it was announced. In the autumn of 2018, it was reported in the Australian press that the Gold Coast was in discussions regarding hosting the competition. The contest was provisionally scheduled from November 30 to December 7, 2019. A total of 16 countries are reported to take part in the inaugural edition of the competition. Find out more about it’s journey to now below:
Voxovation, which now has the rights to Eurovision contests internationally, continues to list Asia as a potential area for the format. Voxovation has developed the American Song Contest and has been in active discussions regarding the Eurovision Song Contest Latin America.
Source: European Broadcasting Union