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The European Broadcasting Union has licensed Voxovation to organise the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia with the grand final set for November 14 at a Bangkok venue according to an official EBU announcement. Participating nations include South Korea Thailand Vietnam the Philippines Malaysia Cambodia Laos Bangladesh Bhutan Nepal and Mongolia with each selecting its act through national competitions. Executive producer Assaf Blecher told the Financial Times that the limited lineup of 11 countries this year amounts to a learning curve but he remains optimistic about expanding to include Japan China and India next year.
According to a BBC video report the idea of bringing Eurovision to Asia was first proposed 18 years ago yet the current edition has encountered budget cuts and staff resignations. The BBC’s South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head noted that while passionate fan bases exist in parts of the region the contest itself is not widely known across Asia. Head added that the voting mechanism blending public participation with national juries feels much less familiar to Asian viewers compared with their European counterparts.
A Guardian report identified several established regional stars among the finalists including Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên Malaysia’s Aina Abdul and South Korea’s K-pop singer Junhee along with Bangladesh’s beatboxing group Beatmosphere. The newspaper stated that ticket sales for the event have been sluggish so far while the contest’s dedicated Instagram account has gained around 65,000 followers after promotion from the main Eurovision page. Bulgaria’s 2026 Eurovision winner is scheduled to perform in the interval as organisers attempt to link the two competitions.
Academic Dean Vuletic author of Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest told the Guardian that the Asian edition faces an uphill struggle to engage local audiences because it lacks the postwar integration backdrop that propelled the original contest’s popularity in Europe. The Financial Times quoted Vuletic as observing that Asia has not experienced the same economic political or cultural convergence that allowed Eurovision to symbolise unity on the other continent. An analysis published by ESC Insight suggested the European final attracted 131 million viewers in 2026 yet the Asian debut is unlikely to approach similar numbers in its opening year.
The American Song Contest a 2022 attempt to export the format to the United States hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson drew poor audiences and was not renewed for a second season according to BBC coverage and other reports. EBU director Martin Green said in a statement that launching the Asian chapter during the contest’s 70th anniversary felt particularly meaningful given the region’s abundance of culture creativity and talent. Organisers have projected a potential audience exceeding 600 million people across Asia the EBU press release indicated.
Blecher told AFP he has already received expressions of interest from 16 or 17 territories for a 2027 edition including possibilities such as China Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Asian contest has so far avoided the political controversies that marked the European version this year which saw viewership fall by 35 million after boycotts related to Israel’s participation according to industry assessments. The winner of Eurovision Asia is invited to perform as a guest at the 2027 European contest the organising body has confirmed.
