Quick Answer
No. There is no Eurovision Asia Song Contest in 2026. The project, originally developed by Australian broadcaster SBS, Blink TV and the European Broadcasting Union, was paused in 2021 and has not been revived for the 2026 calendar. Asian artists remain represented at the main European contest only through Australia, which competes as a full guest member.
How The Eurovision Asia Idea Started
The concept gained real traction in 2016, immediately after Australia's successful integration into the main Eurovision Song Contest. If a country on the other side of the planet could be folded into the European format, the logic went, then a dedicated Asia Pacific version of the contest could capture an even larger audience.
The EBU partnered with SBS and the Australian production company Blink TV to develop the format. The initial vision was ambitious: up to 20 competing nations, a single live Grand Final, semi finals to manage the field, and a winner who would host the following year's contest.
The target lineup included South Korea, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.
Why The Project Stalled
Three structural problems killed the original launch window, and they have not gone away.
- Time zones. The Asia Pacific region spans more than 10 time zones. A live broadcast that hits prime time in Mumbai also drops in Sydney at 1:30 in the morning. Eurovision works in Europe because the entire continent is within a three hour window.
- Broadcaster politics. Eurovision relies on each participating country agreeing to a shared set of editorial and democratic standards. In the Asia Pacific region, broadcaster independence varies dramatically, censorship rules differ wildly and regional rivalries (China and Taiwan, India and Pakistan, Korea and Japan) make a single shared format extremely hard to negotiate.
- K-pop has its own ecosystem. By the time Eurovision Asia was ready to launch, the global K-pop industry had already built its own award shows, multi country tours and televised competitions. The market appetite for a new pan Asian song contest was much smaller than it would have been a decade earlier.
Where The Project Actually Is
SBS quietly shelved the project around 2020 to 2021. The original Eurovision Asia website and social channels went dormant. EBU public statements stopped referencing the format, and no broadcaster has publicly committed to picking it back up for 2026 or 2027.
The American Song Contest (a US adaptation of the format produced by NBC) launched in 2022 but ran for only one season, which further reduced the EBU's appetite for global brand extensions.
What Did Get Built
Even without a dedicated Asian version, the EBU has expanded the global reach of the existing Eurovision Song Contest:
- Australia became a full annual competitor in 2015 and remains in the contest.
- The Eurovision Song Contest is streamed officially in dozens of non European countries via YouTube and Peacock in the United States.
- Junior Eurovision, the youth version of the contest, has occasionally featured Australian participation.
The result is an unusual hybrid. Asia Pacific audiences engage with Eurovision more than ever, but only through the existing European format.
The Australian Bridge
For now, the Asia Pacific musical voice at Eurovision flows through Australia. Recent Australian entries have come from artists with diverse backgrounds:
- Dami Im, of Korean Australian heritage, finished 2nd in 2016.
- Kate Miller Heidke brought the operatic tradition into the contest in 2019.
- Delta Goodrem finished 4th in 2026 with "Eclipse."
It is not a substitute for a true Asia Pacific contest, but it keeps the door open.
Could It Still Happen?
The realistic answer is "maybe, but not soon." Three things would need to change:
- A single major Asian broadcaster (most plausibly KBS in South Korea or NHK in Japan) would need to publicly commit to anchoring the project.
- The format would need to evolve. A purely live Saturday night Grand Final does not work across the region. Pre recorded performances with a live final voting show might be required.
- A streaming partner (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or YouTube) would likely need to handle the distribution layer rather than relying on traditional broadcasters.
The Takeaway
Eurovision Asia in 2026 is still a dream rather than a calendar event. The original launch failed because of time zones, broadcaster politics and the rise of regional alternatives like K-pop awards. For now, Asia Pacific's Eurovision presence runs entirely through Australia, and that is unlikely to change before 2027 at the earliest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Eurovision Asia in 2026?
No. The project was paused in 2021 and has not been revived for 2026.
Who originally developed Eurovision Asia?
Australian broadcaster SBS, production company Blink TV, and the European Broadcasting Union.
Is Asia represented at the European Eurovision?
Indirectly, through Australia, which has competed as a full guest member since 2015.
