Eurovision makes Asian debut in Bangkok

Eurovision fans sporting flags and bright outfits gathered on Saturday night in Bangkok for its first Asia edition, featuring Bangladeshi beatboxing, Vietnamese pop and a love song by a Mongolian economist.

Performers from 11 countries are battling it out for the first Asia crown in a contest famed in Europe for its lavish outfits, soaring vocals and sometimes tricky geopolitics.

“I’m very pleased it’s come to Asia. We’ve been waiting so long!” said Malaysian mega-fan Fauzan, 37, one of the first in the queue to enter the One Bangkok Forum.

He was wearing a blue corset over a white trouser suit in honour of his nation’s entry Aina Abdul, who is wearing similar colours to perform her song Bluest Sky.

Eurovision is the world’s biggest televised live music event, drawing 131 million viewers in 2026, and over the past 70 years has helped to launch the careers of artists such as Abba and Celine Dion.

It is a cultural phenomenon in Europe, but the big question is whether it can take off in Asia, the world’s most populous region with more than enough music shows of its own.

Fauzan, who declined to give his family name for privacy reasons, cited Eurovision’s advocacy of LGBTQ rights as one reason he loves it, saying the 2014 victory of the Austrian bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst was a turning point.

“It was something new in the acceptance of LGBTQ. It was an eye-opener,” he said.

The contestants are largely stars in their own countries, from Malaysia’s Aina to the Vietnamese pop star Toc Tien, but some have a less typical background.

The Mongolian singer Beck has a day job as an economist who advises the deputy prime minister.

“It’s very important for me to show up, to show respect to our ancestors on this big stage,” he told AFP, wearing an orange-and-gold traditional outfit he described as a “suit of a warrior”.

Carmelle, from the Philippines, will sing about female empowerment, Bryan Adams fan Pratik Himal Rai will perform a rock song with masked dancers for Nepal. South Korea has sent pop star Junhee, while Thailand will be represented by Mang x Daou performing Aroma. (Story continues below)

‘More innocent’ than European version

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 Europe, this sometimes reflects diplomatic tensions, although there is little sign of that so far in Asia, with executive producer Assaf Blecher saying the edition was “a little bit more innocent”.

The expansion comes as Eurovision marks its 70th birthday under a cloud, with 2026 viewing figures down 35 million on-year after a boycott by five countries over Israel’s participation.

Organisers brush off any link between this controversy and the Asia show, noting the contest has been trying to expand for years. There was a US version in 2022, but it fell flat.

India, Japan and China are notable by their absence in Saturday’s contest, while Bangkok seemed underwhelmed, with tickets still available just hours before showtime.

But Martin Green, director of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, said it could take “two, three, five years” to establish the brand.

“Eurovision number one was basically with seven singers doing two songs each with a pot plant and a microphone,” he told reporters, saying Saturday’s show was “profoundly not the case”.

The show was being broadcast on commercial television in the participating countries and on YouTube, with results due around 11pm Saturday.