Next month, the curtain will rise on the largest music event the Asian continent has ever seen. We have gathered all you need to know just before this dream becomes reality.
In just one month, the first-ever Eurovision Asia will finally take place, and excitement is at an all-time high. Scheduled for November 14, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, the contest will bring the continent’s finest talents to the stage. Most participating countries have already selected their entries, leaving us eagerly awaiting just one final country to complete the lineup.
Technical Details
The contest will take place at the One Bangkok Forum arena in the Thai capital. Hosting the glamorous evening will be Thai TV personality Woody Milintachinda and the model and actress Cindy Bishop. Woody is widely regarded as one of Asia’s most influential media figures and entrepreneurs, known for his popular talk show featuring international stars and for producing massive electronic music festivals across the continent. Alongside him, Cindy brings extensive international experience as a former “Miss Thailand World” winner, the host of several seasons of “Asia’s Next Top Model,” and a UN Women Regional Ambassador. The event will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel, allowing fans worldwide to watch in real time.
It is important to note that this is an official production with direct involvement from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in collaboration with the production company Voxovation. Rather than simply selling the broadcasting rights for a format (as was the case with the short-lived American Song Contest), this is a heavily invested and meticulously managed flagship project.
Rules and Format
Competitively, the voting system will combine televoting with professional juries from each participating country. Viewers will still see the classic allocation of 1 to 12 points, but the televoting mechanics have been specifically adapted for Asia. Voting will take place entirely through a unified, free digital platform developed in collaboration with sponsor Zoop, aiming to maximize public accessibility and eliminate the reliance on paid SMS messages. Additionally, the voting window will open earlier than in the European contest to accommodate the massive time zone differences across the continent. The most significant innovation is the heavy weight given to the “Rest of the World” category, turning the international fanbase into a decisive force in crowning the winner.
Unlike the traditional European Eurovision, the winning country will not automatically host the contest the following year. Instead, the winner will be invited to perform as a guest artist at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria. This decision stems from the massive disparities in budgets and production capabilities among local broadcasters on the continent, as not all of them are equipped to stage an event of this magnitude. Complexities surrounding the issuance of entry visas also played a role in this decision, meaning that hosting duties will likely be limited to stronger and more open nations, like Thailand and South Korea.
The National Final Season is Nearing its End
Unlike the European model where each broadcaster produces its own national final, a creative solution was required in Asia to allow smaller nations to participate without facing financial strain. Voxovation took it upon itself to produce most of the local national finals, solving the broadcasters’ budget constraints and enabling them to mount selection shows at an international standard. This centralized model established uniform production values across the continent and opened up voting to a global audience right from the national final stage. In some cases, the company even paired independent artists with commercial record labels to ensure they had full professional backing ahead of the contest. Currently, 10 out of the 11 countries have selected their entries through a local national final or an internal selection.
The Participating Songs
11 countries will take part in the inaugural edition:
(Click on the song title to listen)
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Thailand: The duo Mang and Daou will perform “Aroma“. They were selected through a national final featuring ten of the biggest names in the local music industry.
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South Korea: Singer Junhee will represent the country with “Deep Dive“. He was chosen from a lineup of eight songs in a national final open to global voting.
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Vietnam: Superstar Tóc Tiên will sing “Em Tiên” (English: “Fairy Maiden”), after the public selected the winning track from proposals submitted by several different production teams.
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Philippines: Singer Carmelle will perform “Sobra-Sobra” (English: “Too Much”), following her victory in the local national final in late August.
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Bangladesh: The group Beatmosphere will sing “Tumi Ele” (English: “You Came”). They won the “Voice of Bangladesh” national final, where the production company actively paired independent artists with commercial labels to guarantee a complete professional package for their entries.
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Mongolia: Singer Beck will sing “Light“, after performing four potential entries in the national final and letting the public choose their favorite.
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Nepal: Pratik Himal Rai will represent the nation with “Ananta Maya” (English: “Endless Love”), having been selected from a field of 11 contestants.
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Laos: Singer Thinla will perform “BAE” (English: “Babe”). The Laotian national final featured a unique format where where Thinla performed three potential entries in a live broadcast, with the audience selecting the winning track.
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Bhutan: Nyendra will sing “Lhayi Semo” (English: “Daughter of the Gods”). He won the local national final “Rhythm of Bhutan”, which was funded and produced with Voxovation’s assistance to overcome the small local broadcaster’s budget constraints.
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Malaysia: Aina Abdul will perform “Bluest Sky“, making her the only artist so far chosen through an internal selection by the Malaysian broadcaster.
The final participating country is Cambodia, set to choose its representative and song this week on October 17 during its local national final.
History of a Dream
The ambition to export the contest to the world’s largest continent dates back to the early 2000s. Initially, a project titled “Our Sound” was discussed but ultimately canceled. In 2016, the Australian broadcaster SBS officially announced the development of the Eurovision Asia brand, though the project faced political and logistical hurdles and was officially put on ice in 2021. The turning point occurred in recent years when Voxovation took the reins, establishing a centralized economic model that subsidizes national finals for smaller nations, finally turning this long-standing dream into a tangible television event.
Backed by massive pop industries, established superstars, and a global audience thirsty for new music, Eurovision Asia is shaping up to be one of the year’s most promising and intriguing events. All that is left to do is count down the days, listen to the newly revealed tracks, and prepare for an unforgettable musical celebration that will bring fresh colors to our screens.
Eurovision Asia 2026: The first Eurovision Asia contest will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on November 14. The host arena of the contest is the “One Bangkok Forum”, which has a capacity of about 6,000 seats. This is an official expansion project of the Eurovision brand outside the borders of Europe, launched ahead of the original contest’s 70th-anniversary celebrations.
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Writer and content creator at EuroMix, providing cultural insights into the world of Eurovision. Talor is a second-generation Eurovision enthusiast who grew up attending family viewing parties. The 1999 Eurovision, at just five years old, was the event that shaped his love for the contest. He holds a BA degree in Culture – Creation and Production, and his articles combine academic knowledge with a passion for pop and trash, appreciating humor and clever references in the competition’s songs. He specializes in cultural and social analysis, offering in-depth commentary.
Outside the Eurovision world, Talor works as an independent content and media manager.
