South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan will participate in the spin-off competition.
Eurovision will debut an Asian version of its song competition in Thailand this November, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced Tuesday.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said the Bangkok spinoff, which is the first of its kind in the competition’s 70-year history, will reflect Asia’s “voices, identities and ambitions … while staying true to what has always made the contest special.”
Broadcasters from 10 countries — South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan — have already confirmed their participation in the contest, which is scheduled to hold its grand finale on Nov. 14.
Additional competitors are expected to be announced in the lead up to the competition. According to the EBU, the event could have a potential audience of more than 600 million people across the 10 countries.
Chuwit Sirivajjakul, deputy governor for policy and planning at Thailand’s Tourism Authority, said hosting the inaugural competition marked “a new chapter for Thailand’s global presence.”
Broadcasters from 52 countries have sent contestants to the Eurovision song competition since its creation in 1956. Although the majority of participants have hailed from Europe, countries geographically located outside the continent, like Morocco and Australia, have taken part in the contest.
The new version of the contest is set to debut at a moment when Europe’s premiere song competition is in crisis, with several countries boycotting this year’s edition to protest Israel’s participation.