Known for its glitzy stage costumes and sometimes outlandish performances, the Eurovision Song Contest is now launching its first-ever Asia edition. Broadcasters from 10 countries in the region, including South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand, and the Philippines, have confirmed that they will be taking part. According to the contest's website, there are more to follow.
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.
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, said Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU.
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.
The competition has supercharged the careers of some of the world's most famous acts, such as Swedish pop group Abba and Canadian singer Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988. Around 163 million people tuned in to last year's contest, which featured a range of songs from ebullient bangers to soulful ballads.
The contest has also been a site of international political tensions. A number of countries are boycotting the contest this year over Israel's participation, and Russia has been banned from entering 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. Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a senior official at the Thailand Tourism Authority, emphasized Bangkok as the ideal host city, highlighting its vibrant culture and musical heritage.
The Asia edition of the contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union alongside Los Angeles-based Voxovation and Thailand-based S2O Productions.
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.
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, said Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU.
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.
The competition has supercharged the careers of some of the world's most famous acts, such as Swedish pop group Abba and Canadian singer Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988. Around 163 million people tuned in to last year's contest, which featured a range of songs from ebullient bangers to soulful ballads.
The contest has also been a site of international political tensions. A number of countries are boycotting the contest this year over Israel's participation, and Russia has been banned from entering 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. Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a senior official at the Thailand Tourism Authority, emphasized Bangkok as the ideal host city, highlighting its vibrant culture and musical heritage.
The Asia edition of the contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union alongside Los Angeles-based Voxovation and Thailand-based S2O Productions.
