After a decade of false starts, cancelled plans, and more than a few moments where it seemed like it would never actually happen, Eurovision Asia is finally, officially, a real thing. The European Broadcasting Union and Voxovation, together with S20 productions, have confirmed that the Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be held on Saturday, 14 November 2026, broadcast in partnership with Thailand’s Channel 3. Bangkok will serve as the first host city.

The idea was first announced by Australian broadcaster SBS back in 2016, with the first edition originally planned for 2027. What followed was a long, stop-start journey that tested the patience of fans across the region. SBS eventually confirmed in 2021 that they were dropping the project, five years after it had been announced, citing the fact that the producers had failed to build a working relationship with China for the competition. “I think it’s fair to say we’ve recinded our rights” the broadcaster’s commissioning editor said at the time.

But the dream did not die entirely. Voxovation, which now holds the rights to Eurovision contests internationally and previously developed the American Song Contest, kept Asia on its radar.

The official reveal eventually came at the end of March. Ten countries are confirmed to take part provisionally, with the official website hinting that there are more to come. So far, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are confirmed. As in the main Eurovision Song Contest, each country will be represented by a local public service broadcaster.

Eurovision Song Contest Director Martin Green CBE marked the occasion by saying that, as the contest celebrates its 70th anniversary, “it feels especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent.” He framed the new contest not as an export, but as something that will be shaped by the artists, broadcasters and audiences in the region itself.

Notably, Australia is not among the competing nations this time around. An SBS spokesperson said the broadcaster is “not competing in this newly announced Eurovision Asia Contest,” but expressed that they are “pleased to see continued interest in celebrating these kinds of connections across the region.”

It is worth noting that this is not even the first attempt at an Asia-Pacific spin-off, if you go further back. The EBU previously licensed an Asia Pacific Contest to Asiavision Pte. Ltd., which announced events for Macau in 2009 and Mumbai in 2010, neither of which was ever realised. So the road to Bangkok has been a long one, with plenty of bumps along the way.

For now, though, the focus is firmly on November. Eurovision Song Contest Asia is produced by Voxovation under licence from the European Broadcasting Union, in cooperation with leading broadcasters across the region, promising a live broadcast, digital interaction, and mass audience energy. Whether it captures the same kind of devoted, slightly chaotic energy that has made the original Eurovision such a cultural institution remains to be seen, but the foundations are there, and the appetite across Asia for exactly this kind of event has been obvious for years.