Eurovision launches Asia edition with South Korea and Thailand among entries
JJ won Eurovision in 2025 (Image: Getty Images)
Eurovision has announced its first-ever Asia edition, with Eurovision Song Contest Asia set to hold a live grand final in Bangkok on 14 November, 2026.
Ten countries are confirmed for the inaugural line-up: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Organisers expect more countries to join ahead of the finale.
The rules for the Asia competition have not yet been announced. Eurovision’s main contest typically involves national selections feeding into live shows, with results decided by a mix of jury scores and public voting.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said in a statement: “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.”
The Asia edition is being organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) alongside Voxovation and Thailand-based S2O Productions, with Thailand’s Channel 3 involved as a participating broadcaster.
Why now?
The idea of an Asian version of Eurovision has been discussed for years, and has been floating around since at least 2008. Eurovision has also tested spin-offs elsewhere, including the American Song Contest, which aired in 2022 but was not renewed. It was actually won by K-Pop artist AleXa, with her song “Wonderland”.
Eurovision Song Contest Asia launches in the same year as the main contest’s 70th anniversary, with the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest being held in Vienna in May.
Eurovision’s expansion
Eurovision is one of the biggest annual live TV music events, known for maximalist staging, intense fan culture and cross-border voting drama. It also has a long-standing association with LGBTQ+ audiences and queer nightlife culture, and has helped cement several performers as queer icons, including Conchita Wurst.
Organisers have pointed to the scale of the opportunity, with EBU viewing figures putting the most recent Eurovision audience at about 166 million, and organisers suggesting the Asia edition could draw more than 600 million people.
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