What is Eurovision Asia? Everything you need to know about the new Contest
Article written by Margaret Waldersee
For years the Eurovision fandom has been abuzz with whispers of a Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
Finally, the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia is set to debut in Bangkok this weekend.
But what IS Eurovision Asia? Here's everything you need to know.
What is Eurovision Asia?
Eurovision Song Contest Asia is a brand-new international music competition bringing the familiar Eurovision format to countries across Asia.
Just like the original Eurovision Song Contest, participating countries select an artist and an original song to represent them on an international stage.
The artists perform live in front of an audience and millions of television viewers, with votes from professional juries and the public determining which country takes home the trophy.
The idea is simple: take the concept that has brought Europe (and friends like Australia) together for decades, and bring it to Asia, allowing a whole new cultural melting pot of music and celebration to take place.
It's a separate competition from the Eurovision Song Contest we know and love, but shares the same spirit of bringing countries together through music.
How will Eurovision Asia 2026 work?
The first Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November at One Bangkok Forum in Thailand, with 11 countries competing.
They are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Unlike the European Eurovision Song Contest, there are no Semi-Finals for the inaugural Asian edition, with all 11 acts competing in one Grand Final.
The show will feature performances in a variety of languages, showcasing the incredible musical and cultural diversity of the region.
Thai television personalities Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop will host the event, with Eurovision 2026 winner DARA and Thai superstar Jeff Satur appearing as special guests.
How will the winner be decided?
The winner of Eurovision Asia will be decided through a combination of professional juries and public voting.
Like the original Eurovision, the juries will account for 50% of the result, with the remaining 50% coming from viewers.
The familiar Eurovision scoring system will also be used, including those all-important 12 points!
And the exciting news is that anyone around the world can vote, including Australians, even though Australia isn't competing.
Viewers will receive eight free votes, which must be distributed across at least three songs, while those in participating countries cannot vote for their own country.
Why has Eurovision Asia taken so long to happen?
The blueprint for Eurovision Asia has been in the pipeline for 18 years, with the first Contest proposed back in 2008.
However, the execution of the idea proved to be anything but simple.
Initial delays occurred due to the name assigned to it, with the original name 'Asiavision' conflicting with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union's regional news service, which bore the same name.
The idea was then rebranded as Our Sound, but this project also failed to get off the ground.
Several broadcasters explored hosting the first edition in the years that followed, including Australia's SBS.
SBS was a leading voice in the project between 2016 and 2021, with Sydney and the Gold Coast both considered as potential host cities.
The possibility of an Asian competition also sparked speculation about whether Australia could eventually move from the European Eurovision to its Asian counterpart.
While Australia won't compete in the inaugural Eurovision Asia, it will remain part of the European Contest and SBS will broadcast the new competition to Australian audiences.
Finally, on 31 March 2026, the European Broadcasting Union announced that Eurovision Asia would become a reality, with Bangkok selected to host the inaugural edition.
And the excitement isn't limited to the competing countries!
Our 2026 golden girl Delta Goodrem has been showing her support for the new competition by posting covers of all 11 entries online, singing in an impressive 10 different languages (what CAN'T she do, honestly?!).
Where can I watch Eurovision Asia?
Australian viewers will have a couple of ways to watch the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
The Contest will be available live on SBS On Demand, with Courtney Act providing commentary for Australian viewers.
The Contest will also be streamed worldwide via the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.
The Contest starts at 20:30 local time in Bangkok on Saturday 14 November. This equates to the following times around Australia:
WA – 9:30pm
NT – 11:00pm
QLD – 11:30pm
SA – 12:00am Sunday
ACT/NSW/VIC/TAS – 12:30am Sunday
