Eurovision Song Contest launches first-ever Asia edition
Baku, March 31, AZERTAC
Known for its glitzy stage costumes and sometimes outlandish performances, the Eurovision Song Contest is now launching its first ever Asia edition, BBC reported.
Broadcasters from 10 countries in the region, including South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines, have confirmed that they will be taking part. According to the contest's website, which lists the participating countries, there are "more to follow".
These countries will first host their own national selections before the grand final in Bangkok which will be broadcast live on 14 November.
First held in 1956, Eurovision has grown into the world's longest running international music competition.
With 2026 marking its 70th anniversary, it felt "especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent", explained Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, in a statement.
The idea of an Asian version of Eurovision, conspicuously not named "Asiavision", has already generated some excitement on social media, with people rooting for their home countries to win the contest.
"Philippines will win every year," read an X post, while another questions why major Asian markets such as China and Japan are not yet a part of the competition.
This is not the first time Eurovision has tried to expand beyond its core competition.
In 2022, it held the American Song Contest, which saw representatives from all 50 US states. However this stateside edition, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, suffered from poor viewership and was not renewed for a second year.
It seems organisers hope an Asian contest will be more successful. After all, this is a region which really loves its music.
Rising incomes, thriving social media and young people who adore K-pop and karaoke have all given Asia's music business a boost over the years. Global music labels have also been investing in the continent, while there has also been a growing number of collaborations between Asian artistes and Western names.
The region's most celebrated pop culture export is undoubtedly K-pop, which is taking the world by storm after having dominated Asian markets for decades.
But that is far from the only offering.
In Thailand there's the T-Wind, the homegrown parallel to K-Wave. And of course, there's Bollywood, although India has not confirmed its participation in Eurovision Asia.
As of now, the 10 participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
As a rule, the songs performed at Eurovision must be original and lead vocals sung live. Performers are then voted on by music experts and fans.
It's unclear if the same rules will apply for the Asia edition, but the event's website states that "every vote will count" and promises that the contest will be "a celebration of original pop music".
Entrants to this year's contest will no doubt be aware that Eurovision has supercharged the careers of some of the world's most famous acts, from Swedish pop group Abba to Canadian singer Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988.
And despite its age, Eurovision remains a hugely popular annual event. Around 163 million people tuned in to last year's contest, which offered songs ranging from ebullient bangers to soulful ballads.
But the contest has also become a site of international political tensions.
A number of countries are boycotting the contest this year, set to take place in Vienna in May, over Israel's participation.
Russia has been banned from entering the contest since 2022, following its invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Moscow relaunched its own international song contest, known as Intervision.
Since the 2000s, there have been multiple attempts to create an Asian version of the iconic contest, but none of those previous efforts bore fruit.
In a statement published by EBU, Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a senior official at the Thailand Tourism Authority, said he thought the host city of Eurovision Asia should "of course" be Bangkok.
"Because this city has always been a place where cultures come together, where music fills the air, and where celebration is part of everyday life," he said.
The Asia edition of the contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union alongside Los Angeles-based entertainment company Voxovation and the Thailand-based S2O Productions.
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