Eurovision Asia Contest Launches Next Weekend in Bangkok
Organisers are building a stage in Bangkok for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, featuring 11 contestants.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Asia
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Crews have started constructing a large stage in Bangkok ahead of the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, a spin-off of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for next weekend. The concert will be held at One Bangkok Forum, near Lumphini Park, with 11 performers from countries including Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Why it matters
Organisers hope the experiment will set off a Eurovision-mania chain reaction across Asia. The contest is also unusual because India and China are not participating.
The Asian sister account has about 65,000 followers, compared with 2.3 million promoted from Eurovision's official Instagram account. Whether that reach will translate into live audience interest has not yet been tested.
The players
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is the alliance of public broadcasters that runs the Eurovision Song Contest, which is not tied to any single location.
Dean Vuletic
Dean Vuletic is a historian who has written on Eurovision and who expressed doubt that the contest will succeed outside Europe.
The details
The show has not been rebranded as Asiavision, and Bulgaria's Eurovision 2026 winner, Dara, is performing during the interval. Anyone worldwide can view the live show on YouTube and vote, though online votes do not overrule national juries and public votes in participating countries.
Timeline
Next weekend: Eurovision Song Contest Asia launches in Bangkok with 11 contestants.
Mid-November 2026: Ample tickets remained on sale one week before the grand final.
Travel Outlook
The Asian contest follows the pattern of the 2022 American Song Contest, which received poor viewing figures despite its Eurovision lineage. Its success will test whether Eurovision can build an audience outside Europe, as Dean Vuletic has questioned.
Visitors planning to attend the Bangkok grand final should check remaining ticket availability at One Bangkok Forum, as seats were still on sale one week out. The show is also streamable on YouTube for viewers who cannot travel to the venue.
The takeaway
The launch tests whether a European cultural export can find an audience across Asia, and its early reception will show whether the format travels beyond its home continent.
What happens next
Eurovision Song Contest Asia's grand final is scheduled for next weekend at One Bangkok Forum in Bangkok.
Further reading
Explore more on Asia for context on the region hosting this new musical event.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Guardian.
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