The Eurovision Song Contest is expanding to Asia this year. The annual musical extravaganza will host its first Asian edition in Bangkok on Nov. 14 with an initial slate of 10 countries lined up to participate so far, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, with more countries to be announced later, according to a release on the expansion.
“As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, it feels especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent,” said contest director Martin Green in a statement on Tuesday (March 31).
The Asian version will take flight after the original contest takes place in Vienna in May, with 35 countries competing in the singing contest known for outrageous costumes, towering ballads and high-energy performances. The participating Asian countries will host their national selection rounds soon, with the winners going to the grand final in Bangkok.
This is the latest expansion of the contest that last year drew more than 160 million viewers from around the world. Back in 2022, organizers put on the American Song Contest, which featured singers from all 50 states and hosts Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg. Unlike the wildly popular European version, though, tune in was soft and the show did not get a second-season pickup.
The global contest, which always attempts to set aside politics and global conflict to focus on music, promises on the event’s website to make sure “every vote will count” and, as always, spotlight the “celebration of original pop music.”
Though political lyrics and statements have long been verboten, the Vienna edition is being boycotted by Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands due to the inclusion of Israel in the wake of the country’s war in Gaza. Last year’s Eurovision was hit by protests inside and outside the venues over the inclusion of singer Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel in which more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 250 were kidnapped.
In addition, Russia has been banned from participating in the contest since 2022 over its ongoing war against Ukraine.
Check out the teaser trailer for Eurovision Song Contest Asia below.
