10 countries have already announced their participation, and the final will take place in November in Thailand, writes the BBC.
"As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Eurovision, it's especially important to open this new chapter with Asia – a region rich in culture, creativity, and talent. It's about developing Eurovision together with Asia, creating a project that reflects the voices, identity, and ambitions of the region, while staying true to what has always made the contest special," stated Martin Green, the contest director.
10 countries have already announced their participation: South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand, Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam. As the organizers promise, the list will be updated. In the coming months, each participating country will choose its representative through national selections – as is traditionally done in the main "Eurovision".
According to the contest rules, songs must be original and vocals live. As in the original contest, winners will be chosen by both professional experts and viewers.
The contest will be broadcast by the TV channels of the participating countries, but the main broadcaster will be Thailand's Channel 3 – the final will take place in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on November 14.
Channel 3 is announced as the organizer of the contest together with the European Broadcasting Union, Voxovation, and S2O Productions.
"Bangkok – a city where tradition and modernity harmoniously combine – becomes a natural place for a contest based on diversity and cultural exchange," states the official announcement of the event.
"This city has always been a place where cultures meet, where music is heard everywhere, and where celebration is part of daily life," emphasized Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a representative of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The organizers note that the population of the participating Asian countries is over 600 million people, but Asia currently lacks "a comparable pan-regional platform."
"Maintaining the spirit of 'Eurovision', the contest continues a simple but powerful idea – to unite people through music and shared experiences," the organizers promise.
The Eurovisionasia website has already been launched, where all new information about the contest will appear.
"Eurovision" was first held in 1956. The contest brought to a new level of popularity future global stars such as the Swedish band ABBA or Canadian singer Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988.
Last year, the contest was watched by approximately 163 million people. This year – the contest will take place in May in Vienna – there might be fewer viewers: several countries decided to boycott "Eurovision" due to Israel's participation. They called for Israel to be disqualified, just as Russia was disqualified in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. In response, Russia launched its own music contest "Intervision", in which 23 countries participated in 2025.
Since the 2000s, repeated attempts have been made to create an Asian version of "Eurovision", but none of them have been successful so far.
Comments