Philippines Wins First Eurovision Asia With Carmelle’s Sobra-Sobra

The winning song

Sobra-Sobra blends pop and rap. It uses the traditional Philippine instruments kubing and kulintang and is sung in Tagalog and English. Carmelle grew up in the Bicol region of Luzon and has competed in televised talent shows since she was 12.

She described the song as "a tribute to all Filipino women". After the win she said: "I made history, since this was the first time." She added: "It's such a big responsibility for me, because this one is a global stage."

Night of firsts

The show opened with Muay Thai fighters and drag performers sharing the stage, and the acts arrived in tuk-tuks. Bangladesh's Beatmosphere sang without instruments. Bhutan's Nyendra wore the gho, the national dress for men.

Nepal's Pratik Himal Rai used the end of his song to appeal for support for his country. Laos's Thinla could not hear her own music during her performance, and her dress rehearsal was aired once the live acts had finished. She placed fifth, with the third-highest public score.

Dara, the Bulgarian singer who won this year's European contest, presented the trophy and performed. Thai singer Jeff Satur also appeared.

What comes next

Carmelle gets no prize money. She will perform at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas.

Organisers have said the right to host future editions will not automatically go to the winner, because smaller countries lack the infrastructure. It is still unclear how many regional broadcasters will commit to keeping the contest going or expanding it beyond 11 countries. The arena was crowded but not full, and the crowd thinned soon after Carmelle lifted the trophy.

Fans who travelled for the show were enthusiastic. "It was amazing, a very high standard," said Scarlett Massie, from England. She and her friends suggested "Asia Vision" as the name for next year's show.