Eurovision announces Asia edition of song contest – and the host country is confirmed

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A new version of the popular singing competition is on the way, and for the first time ever, it will be held in Asia – a continent that has never hosted the show before.

The first Eurovision Song Contest Asia will feature national competitions throughout Asia, culminating in a grand finale in Bangkok, Thailand – making Thailand the first country to ever host the event.

Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November 2026.

As of now, ten countries have confirmed their participation, primarily from Southeast Asia, including Thailand.

The participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Eurovision has announced that more countries will join the competition soon.

Similar to the European process, each country involved is either holding or preparing to hold national competitions to choose who will represent them.

The recently launched website for Eurovision Asia suggests this year’s competition will be more spectacular than previous editions. Organizers point to Bangkok’s vibrant atmosphere as the source of this increased energy and excitement.

The contest will be shown on Channel 3 in Thailand, and will also be broadcast in 10 other Asian countries, with more countries joining soon. Each broadcaster will bring their unique style and perspective to the coverage.

It’s not yet known if Eurovision Asia will be shown in countries that aren’t competing, or if people in the UK will be able to watch it live.

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The Eurovision Song Contest has received a lot of criticism for letting Israel compete this year, given the current war happening in Gaza.

Several countries are choosing not to participate in this year’s contest because the organization in charge, the European Broadcasting Union, decided against banning Israel from competing.

In December 2025, the European Broadcasting Union met and voted to establish rules preventing governments or outside groups from unfairly pushing certain songs to sway voting results. However, they did not vote on whether Israel would be allowed to participate in the competition.

The EBU announced that most of its members decided another vote on whether to participate wasn’t necessary. They confirmed that the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will go ahead as scheduled, with extra safety measures added.

After that, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland announced they wouldn’t be competing in Eurovision this year.

Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, has decided not to participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, citing the ongoing and devastating loss of life and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They believe it would be inappropriate to participate given the severe risks faced by civilians there.

As a fan, I was saddened to hear about the disqualification, but I understand the BBC stands with the European Broadcasting Union’s decision. They’ve explained it’s about upholding the competition’s rules and making sure everyone feels included, and I respect that.

Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November 2026.

You can find a complete list of Eurovision winners, as well as see how many times the United Kingdom has been victorious in the competition.

Authors

Phoebe Kowhai BarnesFreelance Writer

Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a freelance writer specializing in pop culture and entertainment for TopMob. Before that, she was a Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab, where she oversaw their local teams. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Nottingham.

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2026-05-17 00:34