The original Eurovision Song Contest is open to full members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). In September 2008, the EBU first announced its plan to hold a similar competition in the Asia-Pacific region. Initially named Our Sound – The Asia Pacific Song Contest, the competition was scheduled to take place in the second half of 2009. However, after several postponements, it was canceled indefinitely.
The idea resurfaced in 2016 when the EBU partnered with the Australian broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). The Eurovision Asia Song Contest was originally scheduled to take place in Australia in 2017; however, it was canceled. The event was first moved to late 2019 and then postponed again before being shelved in 2021.
The third time was the charm. In June 2025, the EBU mentioned ongoing work on Eurovision Asia in its Brand Impact Report for the Eurovision Song Contest. On March 31, 2026, an official press release was issued announcing the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia. Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, was confirmed as the host city for the November 14, 2026, competition.
The Eurovision Song Contest Asia is open to broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region, whether they are publicly or privately funded. However, broadcasters that participate in the main contest are not eligible to participate in the Asia-Pacific contest, even if they are partially or fully located in the region. This includes Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, and Turkey, for example. The inaugural edition had eleven participating countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Eurovision Song Contest Asia follows a similar format to the main contest, but it is not identical. Each country participates with one song that must be under three minutes long. Lead vocals must be performed live, and no more than six performers are allowed on stage at any time. There are no language requirements, so some songs are in the performers’ native languages, some are in English, and some are bilingual.
Unlike the original contest, the Eurovision Song Contest Asia does not have semifinals due to the relatively small number of participants. The winner is selected by a voting system combining professional jury and public votes in a 50/50 split. Public votes are not limited to participating countries; however, votes from the rest of the world are aggregated into a separate set of points. Viewers from the Asia-Pacific region cannot vote for their own country.
In contrast to the Eurovision Song Contest, the winner of the Asian competition does not automatically receive hosting rights. Instead, the next host city is selected through a bidding process.
Photo: eurovision.com
