Newsletters
Eurovision Song Contest Asia is officially moving forward, with 10 countries confirmed to participate and a live final scheduled for Bangkok on Nov. 14, 2026.
The announcement was made by Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, and Marcus Tang, Executive Supervisor of Eurovision Asia, during a press briefing.
The 10 confirmed participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Additional countries and broadcasters are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Unlike its European counterpart, which is funded through a combination of participation fees from public service broadcasters and sponsorship, Eurovision Asia will operate as a fully commercial enterprise.
Green said the revenues generated will flow back to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to help fund Eurovision Europe and support public service broadcasting across its members.
“We are in a very commercial part of the world,” Green said. “We are approaching new continental versions of Eurovision from a commercial model.”
One structural difference from the original format is that the contest’s winner will not be required to host the following year, a departure that aligns with the edition’s commercial emphasis and leaves open the possibility of tourist boards bidding to host future editions.
Green confirmed that the core format remains unchanged: songs must be original, main vocals must be performed live, and the same rules on song length and stage configuration apply.
Performances will be judged by both juries and viewers.
Each participating broadcaster will select its entry through national finals in the months leading up to the event.
1 min read
Organizers have framed Eurovision Asia as the beginning of a longer-term brand expansion rather than a one-off experiment.
Green said that a minimum of 8 participating countries is sufficient for the format to continue.
Tang acknowledged that the broadcasting landscape across Asia differs significantly from Europe, with a mix of private and pay-TV channels involved, requiring some adjustments to the rollout.
Eurovision 2025’s Head of Contest Christer Bjorkman has previously described a broader vision: a scenario in which Eurovision Europe, Eurovision Asia, and a future Americas edition each produce a top five, with those countries meeting in a global final.
Green echoed the long-term outlook, noting that “it’s the audiences who will decide if this is something that they want to see.”
The idea of an Asian edition is not new. In 2016, Australian broadcaster SBS secured the exclusive option from the EBU to develop an Asia-Pacific version of the contest.
The project was shelved in 2021 following multiple delays and the COVID-19 pandemic.
A US edition of the American Song Contest was held in 2022 and hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg. It was canceled after one season due to low ratings.
Green cited that experience as a key lesson, noting that Eurovision’s strength lies in bringing together international broadcasters and countries, not staging country-only versions that place it “in a camp somewhere near The Voice and Idol.”
Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 is being organized by the EBU alongside Los Angeles-based entertainment company Voxovation and Bangkok-based S2O Productions.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
