In Temporary
- The music spectacle Eurovision will maintain its first Asian version in Bangkok, Thailand, in November.
- Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan are participating.
The music spectacle Eurovision will maintain its first Asian version later this 12 months in Bangkok.
The Eurovision Music Contest Asia 2026 has confirmed artists from at the very least 10 nations throughout Asia competing: Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
Extra are anticipated to hitch earlier than the ultimate in November.
“As we mark the seventieth anniversary of the Eurovision Music Contest, it feels particularly significant to open this subsequent chapter with Asia, a area wealthy in tradition, creativity and expertise,” Martin Inexperienced, the director of the competition, mentioned in a single day.
Bangkok was the proper metropolis to host the competition as a result of it “has at all times been a spot the place cultures come collectively, the place music fills the air, and the place celebration is a part of on a regular basis life”, mentioned Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a consultant of the Thailand Tourism Authority.
SBS shouldn’t be competing within the Asian version however the broadcaster welcomed the initiative.
“SBS has lengthy recognised the sturdy urge for food for Eurovision and its distinctive capacity to attach audiences by music and shared cultural moments,” an SBS spokesperson mentioned.
“We’re happy to see continued curiosity in celebrating these sorts of connections throughout the area and shall be watching with curiosity because it develops.”
The principle gala, run by the European Broadcasting Union, attracts greater than 100 million viewers yearly.
The principle competitors, with 35 competing nations, is scheduled to be held in Vienna in Could.
Iceland, Eire, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain are boycotting the occasion because of discord over Israel’s participation.
The competition strives to place pop music earlier than politics however has repeatedly been embroiled in world occasions.
Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Gaza struggle stirred protests exterior the venues, main organisers to clamp down on political flag-waving.
Comparable tensions might emerge in Asia after Thailand and Cambodia engaged in lethal border clashes twice in 2025.
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