Eurovision Song Contest Finally Hits Asia With 11 Countries
The Eurovision Song Contest finally reaches Asia on Saturday, with its first Asian grand final in Bangkok. Eleven countries compete, a late budget cut has hit staging, and big markets such as India, China, Japan and Indonesia are missing.
The Eurovision Song Contest finally makes its leap into Asia on Saturday, when Eurovision Asia holds its first grand final in Bangkok, starting at 20:30 local time (13:30 GMT).
The European Broadcasting Union is using the contest's 70th birthday to test audiences in Asia. The idea has been discussed for two decades and never got off the ground, despite many false starts.
Who is taking part
Only 11 countries are competing: host Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
India, China, Japan and Indonesia are absent. Talks are under way to bring them into next year's contest, assuming there is one.
A format that must be explained
Moving a television formula that has worked in Europe for 70 years has not been simple, says Sarun 'Note' Kungbunpot. He is a Eurovision enthusiast and a Thai singer who has won several competitions in the region.
"It's still very new in Asia. I'm not sure many people have heard about it yet," he says. He expects audiences to need time to adjust.
Talent contests in Thailand, the Philippines and Korea are built around the singer, he says. "It's all about popularity – fans are looking for their idols. But Eurovision is all about the song, not the singer."
Eurovision began in 1956 as a project to encourage cultural exchange in a Europe trying to build a common future after two world wars. It has no such resonance in Asia. It also arrives in the digital age, when traditional TV formats struggle to cut through.
Budget cut and rehearsal criticism
The event has had organizational problems. A sudden million-dollar (£760,000) budget cut, made just three weeks before the final, meant many technicians familiar with staging Eurovision were not brought to Thailand. There have also been a number of staff resignations.
Fans have noticed. They have criticized the audio and lighting in rehearsal videos.
How the voting works
As in Europe, the winner will be decided by a 50/50 mix of public votes and national juries from each of the 11 countries. A 12th "rest of the world" category also votes.
Anyone can vote. Each registered viewer gets eight votes, cannot vote for their own country's entry, and must give votes to at least three others.
Public and jury votes are converted into points. The song most popular among Bhutanese or Mongolian voters, for example, gets 12 points from those countries, while the song ranked last gets zero, the famous "nul points".
In Europe, there have long been reports of co-ordinated voting for neighbors. That looks less likely in Asia, but political differences, such as those between Thailand and Cambodia after their border war last year, could sway how audiences vote.
Filipinos, known for their passion for singing, are expected to be enthusiastic participants. About 11 million live overseas, but most live and work in countries that are not taking part, so their votes will go only into the "rest of the world" pool.
