The European Broadcasting Union’s planned Eurovision Song Contest Asia is due to launch in Bangkok later this year, with 10 countries already confirmed for the November event and discussions still under way with other broadcasters. The EBU also says no broadcaster that takes part in Eurovision will be allowed to compete in Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
The shift matters now because it lands as Israel’s place in Eurovision is back under scrutiny. On Monday, the Israeli outlet Ynet reported that the EBU had discussed removing Israel from Eurovision and sending it to Eurovision Asia instead, a possibility the union has not endorsed. An EBU spokesperson said the new contest will be inclusive and will celebrate being United by Music, but also said any broadcaster already in Eurovision will be excluded from the Asian event.
The inaugural competition is due to take place in Thailand toward the end of 2026, after the EBU announced in March that it was putting together Eurovision Song Contest Asia. Countries currently confirmed for November are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Israel, meanwhile, remains set to take part in Eurovision itself, with representative Noam Bettan due to perform in the first semi-final in Basel, Austria, on Tuesday night.
Israel has competed in Eurovision since 1973 because its national broadcaster is a member of the EBU, and current rules allow any country whose broadcaster belongs to the union to enter. That has long made Israel’s participation a point of contention. Five nations withdrew from this year’s Eurovision after it was decided that Israel would be invited back in 2026, underscoring how sharply the issue still divides the contest.
That backdrop helps explain why the Asia launch is being watched so closely. Russia has been excluded from Eurovision since 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, while last year the rival competition Intervision was revived by Russia and drew 22 competing nations from around the world. For now, the EBU’s position is clear: Eurovision Asia is moving ahead, but not as a shelter for countries already inside Eurovision.
