Mongolia’s original Eurovision Asia 2026 entry was disqualified due to an early release. Singer Beck will perform the runner-up track instead.
Screenshot: Zoop
Just hours after Cambodia selected its representative, finalizing the complete lineup for the contest, the picture has shifted once again. Preparations for Eurovision Asia 2026 took an unexpected turn when the Mongolian broadcaster announced the disqualification of the winning entry from their national final, “Mongolia’s Chosen One.” Recently, it came to light that Beck’s winning track, “Light,” had already been published on Facebook back in 2018. Following this discovery, the song was immediately pulled from the competition, and it was officially confirmed that the runner-up of the evening, “Chamguigeer (Without You),” will step in as the country’s replacement entry.
The disqualification stems from a direct violation of the competition’s strict regulations regarding the public exposure of competing songs before a designated cut-off date. Unlike the European Eurovision Song Contest, which uses September 1st as its baseline, the Eurovision Asia rulebook dictates that no competing song may be commercially released or publicly published prior to July 1st, 2026. This mandate is in place to ensure a level playing field and guarantee that all entries are entirely brand new. Since Beck’s original song was exposed online years before the permitted date, an automatic disqualification was inevitable, paving the way for the fully eligible runner-up to take the spotlight.
All You Need to Know About Eurovision Asia
Eurovision Asia is an official expansion project of the Eurovision brand outside the borders of Europe, launched in collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union to mark the 70th anniversary of the original contest. The first-ever competition will take place on November 14, 2026, at the One Bangkok Forum arena in Thailand, hosted by media figures Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop. This historic edition will feature 11 countries: Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, Laos, Bhutan, Malaysia, and Cambodia.
Unlike the European format, the contest in Asia operates under a centralized production model in collaboration with Voxovation, which subsidizes the selection process in various countries to allow participation for nations with limited budgets. Additionally, the winning country will not automatically host the contest the following year but will instead be invited to perform as a guest artist at the traditional Eurovision. The voting system has also been adapted for the continent and is based entirely on a unified, free digital platform that combines televoting with professional juries, giving unprecedented decisive power to the international audience through the “Rest of the World” voting.
The Participating Songs in Eurovision Asia 2026 (running order yet to be determined):
(Click on the song title to listen)
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Bhutan: Nyendra with “Lhayi Semo“
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Bangladesh: Beatmosphere with “Tumi Ele“
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Philippines: Carmelle with “Sobra-Sobra“
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Vietnam: Tóc Tiên with “Em Tiên“
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Laos: Thinla with “BAE“
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Mongolia: Beck with “Without You“
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Malaysia: Aina Abdul with “Bluest Sky“
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Nepal: Pratik Himal Rai with “Ananta Maya“
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South Korea: Junhee with “Deep Dive“
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Cambodia: Monetrey with “I Let You Go“
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Thailand: Mang x Daou with “Aroma“
You Decide the Winner!
Which song is your favorite from the Eurovision Asia lineup? Mark your favorite in the poll attached to this article and vote on our social media pages. We will publish the full and weighted results in about two weeks, so do not miss the opportunity to make an impact!
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.
