A new upcoming spin-off of the world’s favourite international singing competition is coming and will be taking place not only in a country that has never hosted it before, but a continent – Asia.
Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be made up of national selection shows across Asia before its inaugural Grand Final will be held in Bangkok as Thailand becomes the first ever host country.
Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November 2026.
At the time of reporting, there have been 10 countries confirmed as taking part including Thailand, mainly those in the South East of the continent.
The countries taking part consist of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. With Eurovision confirming that more nations will be confirmed in due course.
As is done with the European rendition, each participating country is currently undergoing, or will about to begin, national selection shows to select an act to represent them.
The new website launched for the Eurovision Asia contest promises the new edition of the singing competition will be “louder, bolder and bigger than ever” thanks to Bangkok being packed with “unstoppable energy”.
The contest will be broadcast in partnership with Thailand’s Channel 3, with broadcasters from 10 countries across Asia confirmed with more to be announced in the coming months, each bringing their own voice, identity and storytelling to the stage.
It’s currently unclear whether Eurovision Asia will be broadcast by countries not participating and whether UK audiences will be able to watch it live.
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The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.
At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.
The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”
Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.
Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November 2026.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
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