The Eurovision Song Contest is launching, this year, the first edition in history dedicated to Asia. Currently, ten countries have announced their participation in the contest, which will take place in November.
According to the BBC, broadcasters from 10 countries in the region, including South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand and the Philippines, have already confirmed they will participate.
According to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), “will include artists and pieces from South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, alongside Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos, as well as Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and as the competition expands, other countries are expected to join.”
Participating countries will first organize their own national teams. The grand finale of the first edition dedicated to Asia will take place in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, on November 14, 2026.
“As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, it is particularly meaningful to open this new chapter alongside Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent”said Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, in a statement.
According to the BBC, since the 2000s there have been multiple attempts to create an Asian version of the contest, but nothing has materialized so far.
The Asian edition of Eurovision is organized by the EBU together with entertainment company Voxovation, based in Los Angeles, and S2O Productions, based in Thailand.
The first edition of the Eurovision music contest took place in 1956, becoming the longest-running international music contest in the world. This year’s edition takes place in Vienna in May.
