Eurovision Asia: a history on how we (finally) got here!
With the very first Eurovision Song Contest Asia on TONIGHT, let's take a look at the history of the Contest and how we (finally) got here!
The very beginning - AsiaVision
The journey towards Eurovision Asia has been nearly 18 years in the making, with the first serious proposal dating back to 2008.
The idea was simple: take the concept that has brought Europe (and friends like Australia) together for decades, and bring it to Asia, allowing a whole new cultural melting pot of music and celebration to take place. However, the execution of the idea proved to be anything but simple.
Initial delays in the project occurred due to the name assigned to it, with the original name AsiaVision conflicting with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s regional news service that bore the same name. The idea was then rebranded and named Our Sound, but this project also failed to get off the ground.
Our Sound: Asia-Pacific Song Contest
Following a name change to Our Sound: The Asia-Pacific Song Contest the project was again launched in March 2009, with organisers targeting a debut edition later that year.
Originally scheduled for November 2009, the Contest was postponed until March 2010 and relocated to Macau.
At the same time, the list of participating countries was reduced from 15 to 13 following the withdrawal of Japan and South Korea, although Australia remained among the broadcasters set to compete. Despite the delay, preparations continued, with national selection processes launching in the Philippines and Cambodia.
By March 2010, the contest had been delayed again and rescheduled for 26-28 November 2010 in Mumbai.
Cambodia had already selected its representative, and New Zealand had also joined the list of participants.
However, another postponement followed in September 2010, before the project was ultimately shelved amid reported issues between the organisers and the EBU.
Then radio silence....
SBS's involvement
SBS was a leading voice in the project between the years of 2016 and 2021, which subsequently led to rumours suggesting Australia would migrate from Eurovision to the Asian spin-off.
Several broadcasters made bids to host the first edition of this project in the years since the idea was first pitched - including SBS, with serious talks suggesting that the inaugural contest would be held on Aussie soil, with both Sydney and the Gold Coast both seriously pitched as host cities.
However, whilst migrating made geographical sense for Australia, it was eventually decided that Australia’s artists belonged on the European Eurovision stage.
Growing excitement comes crashing down
The idea of Eurovision Asia brought a huge amount of excitement, with some fan sites running polls and writing articles about who they would want to see representing a number of countries in the region.
But as the project stalled and delayed, the official social media was paused in 2017, and fans began to lose hope.
Despite producers pursuing discussions in the region, the dream could not be realised.
In 2021, SBS Commissioning Editor and the Australian Head of Delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest Josh Martin said in an exclusive interview with David Knox of TV Tonight:
“Eurovision Asia is difficult for a number of reasons: time zones, language barriers, all sorts of issues. We tried so hard but that was one that we just could never quite pin down.”
SBS hints at Eurovision Asia once again
In 2022, at the Asian Academy Creativity Awards, when Australia Decides took out the Best Music Show and Best Non-Scripted Entertainment Show for Blink TV and SBS, the acceptance speech made by Paul Clarke had a notable statement:
"Our chief goal as a company is to bring Eurovision to Asia so please look out for that! Eurovision is coming people!"
Website update and new rumours
Following the collapse of the project, Eurovision Asia largely disappeared from public view for several years.
That all changed in March 2023 when fans noticed that EurovisionAsia.tv, the contest's official website, had been updated for the first time since 2017 with a new logo, sparking speculation that plans for the competition could be revived.
While no formal announcement accompanied the website changes, it did indicate that work may once again be taking place behind the scenes. Over the following months, Eurovision Asia slowly returned to the conversation among Eurovision fans, fuelling hopes that the long-delayed project had not been abandoned entirely.
Jumping the gun
In 2025, rumours were circulating again that the long-awaited Eurovision Asia could be back in the works, with several broadcasters across Asia (albeit prematurely) breaking the news.
Speculation was prompted by an announcement broadcaster, Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS), that a national selection had begun in the country.
In a video, speaking in English, BBS news anchor Kelzang Dolkar revealed the Eurovision Song Contest would be extended into Asia and that Bhutan will be taking part.
BBS even hosted a national selection show, Druk Dra, to select their Eurovision Asia representative. Dolkar from BBS also revealed that 18 Asian countries would be taking part in Eurovision Asia with the first edition taking place in Mumbai.
In addition to BBS' announcement, another country had something planned for Eurovision Asia. Vietnamese network, Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV; Đài Truyền hình Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) had programmed a show on their network called Eurovision Asia, for 31 August 2025.
However, on 29 August 2025, it was confirmed by the EBU that although there were some selection shows in place, the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest Asia would not be taking place.
In an exclusive statement with The Euro Trip podcast, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green CBE, confirmed that the contest had not been authorised.
“While it is no secret that we would love to see an edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Asia, no plans have been confirmed or announced to date.”
“Earlier this week a broadcaster in Bhutan broadcast a selection show for Eurovision Song Contest Asia,” Green said. “Our format rights holders in Asia have spoken to them and the episodes have now been taken off air and deleted from online platforms."
After many false starts, the Eurovision Song Contest Asia is actually announced for 2026!
In March of this year, EBU and Voxovation together with S2O Productions and Thailand’s Channel 3 announced that Eurovision Song Contest Asia would finally debut in 2026, with Bangkok selected as the host city for its inaugural edition.
The name would undergo one final rebrand, drawing on the project's initial inspiration and keeping the name 'Eurovision', as this would establish familiarity amongst fans of the original show.
Martin Green, EBU, said:
“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.
This is about evolving Eurovision together with Asia, building something that reflects the voices, identities and ambitions of the region, while staying true to what has always made the Contest special.
Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be shaped by the artists, broadcasters and audiences who make it their own, continuing our shared journey of being United by Music.”
It was announced that the format of the show will consist of one show with 11 participating countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Bhutan, Philippines, Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea, Nepal, Malaysia, and Thailand, the host country.
The majority of these countries would be undertaking their own national final selections. There were of course negotiations with other countries to enter the Contest, including India, Japan and China, but for various reasons, it would be just the 11 countries to take part in the first edition.
SBS confirmed that Australia will not be competing in 2026 and provided the following statement:
"SBS has long recognised the strong appetite for Eurovision and its unique ability to connect audiences through music and shared cultural moments. While SBS is not competing in this newly announced Eurovision Asia initiative, we’re pleased to see continued interest in celebrating these kinds of connections across the region and will be watching with interest as it develops."
Although SBS are no longer a driving force behind the project, they will be broadcasting the show, and Australians will get the chance to vote as a part of the ‘Rest of the World’ category.
Where can I watch Eurovision Asia?
Australian viewers will have a couple of ways to watch the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
The Contest will be available live on SBS On Demand, with Courtney Act providing commentary for Australian viewers.
The Contest will also be streamed worldwide via the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.
The Contest starts at 20:30 local time in Bangkok on Saturday 14 November. This equates to the following times around Australia:
WA – 9:30pm
NT – 11:00pm
QLD – 11:30pm
SA – 12:00am Sunday
ACT/NSW/VIC/TAS – 12:30am Sunday
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