Bangkok Hosts Eurovision Song Contest as It Comes to Asia for the First Time

A new stage in Bangkok

The Asian contest is taking place in Bangkok on Saturday, where performers in feathered capes and sequined corsets are appearing before fans. The show will crown its first Asia champion.

Eurovision has been part of Europe’s cultural calendar since 1956. Past winners include Sweden’s ABBA and Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988.

Questions about audience demand

The Eurovision format has not previously been tested in Asia. Fans and regional partners have raised concerns about budget limits, production problems and whether enough viewers will tune in.

Organizers say the spinoff may need time to develop an audience. Two earlier plans to bring Eurovision to Asia were abandoned by the European Broadcasting Union and regional partners; NBC’s American Song Contest lasted one season in 2022.

Politics around the contest

Eurovision rules restrict political lyrics, symbols and broadcasts, but international disputes have still shaped the European competition. Georgia withdrew in 2009 after organizers objected to a song title seen as a reference to Vladimir Putin.

Regional sensitivities and reach

Eleven Asian countries sent artists to Saturday’s show, but China, Japan and India did not enter before the deadline, executive producer Assaf Blecher said. Pakistan and Indonesia are also absent.

Taiwan is not participating, avoiding potentially sensitive questions about names and flags, given Beijing’s claim to the self-governing island. About 7,000 people were waiting to watch the YouTube stream, while the European edition’s stream had 11 million views in May.