Eurovision brings pop and politics to Asia

Eurovision brings pop and politics to Asia Estelle.Bronkhorst Sun, 11/08/2026 - 06:00

BANGKOK - Boasting K-pop and Bangladeshi beatboxing, Eurovision stages its first Asia edition this Saturday, bringing the European song contest's unique brand of kitsch and geopolitics to the world's most populous region.

From Laos to Mongolia and the Philippines, 11 countries are competing in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok on November 14.

It will be broadcast live on television in participating countries and on YouTube -- but a question remains over whether anyone will be watching.

Eurovision is the world's biggest televised live music event, drawing 131 million viewers in 2026, and over the past 70 years has launched the careers of artists such as ABBA and Celine Dion.

The Asia edition is its first multinational expansion, although a US version was held in 2022 -- and was not repeated.

AFP | ANTHONY WALLACE

India, Japan and China are absent from the Bangkok event, while ticket sales have been sluggish.

"Eurovision is very big in Europe and it's very new in Asia," acknowledged executive producer Assaf Blecher.

But he said three years of preparations had fostered a public appetite for the show.

"Suddenly they understood the spirit of Eurovision," he said of those involved, hailing "the music, the extravagance".

"It's a window to other countries, to music, to people, to costumes," he told AFP, adding that he hoped it would be the first of many.

- Some provocation -

The finalists have been chosen through national competitions, some of them established stars such as Vietnam's Toc Tien, a favourite to win with her pop-dance track.

South Korea will be represented by K-pop star Junhee, Bangladesh is sending an all-male a cappella beatbox collective, Beatmosphere, while Pratik Himal Rai is rocking it out for Nepal.

The Asia edition comes as Eurovision marks its 70th birthday under a cloud, 2026 viewing figures down 35 million on the year after a boycott by five countries over Israel's participation.

But the contest has always been marked by controversy, from protests in the 1960s over the participation of Franco-ruled Spain to Russia's exclusion over the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The show was first held in 1956 as an experiment by national public broadcasters and became a cultural phenomenon, known for its over-the-top staging, kitsch and eclectic music, and with a large LGBTQ following.

AFP | Amaury PAUL

It grew as Europe became more integrated -- although its reach exceeds the continent's borders, with Canada joining next year -- and became as much about the politics as the music.

Votes are gathered by participating country, half from a jury and half from viewers, and no nation can vote for itself -- meaning ballots are often cast based on national relationships.

In the Asia contest, this could see viewers from Cambodia and Thailand, who clashed over their border last year, voting against each other, Blecher noted.

But the entries to Eurovision Asia -- which unlike the original is organised by commercial broadcasters -- are mostly love songs, lamented Dean Vuletic, an author and expert on Eurovision.

He noted as an exception Philippines pop singer Carmelle, whose "Sobra-Sobra" (Too Much) is an upbeat call to female empowerment.

The show is "lacking some provocation or some meaningful messaging that can resonate with international audiences", Vuletic told AFP.

"This is what makes Eurovision in Europe special from other song contests."

- Budget cuts -

The show has been hit by production issues, including a reported budget cut of one million dollars, forcing organisers to issue a statement last month insisting it was going ahead.

"There are always issues with budgets," Blecher insisted.

"This is the first year and we're working with some limitations," he said, adding that it would be a "beautiful production".

AFP | ANTHONY WALLACE

The performers were due to arrive this weekend in Bangkok ahead of rehearsals for the final show.

Some will sing in their native language, others in English, a choice made by Malaysian star Aina Abdul to reach a wider audience.

For Bhutan's Nyendra, who is performing his folk-pop love song in traditional dress, the show offers a platform well beyond his country of 800,000 inhabitants.

And he could do well, as Eurovision viewers have a habit of supporting the smallest countries, the underdogs.

Blecher says he already has 16 or 17 places interested in a 2027 edition, if all goes well this week.

He cites China, Hong Kong and Taiwan among those interested -- a selection that would certainly put the contest on the geopolitical map.

• AFP

By Alice Ritchie