Eurovision Asia debuts in Bangkok: 11 countries, one favourite

By Elena Vasquez

The first Eurovision Asia takes place in Bangkok this Saturday, with 11 countries competing at One Bangkok Forum. Aina Abdul, the former Masked Singer Malaysia winner, tops fan and bookmaker lists with her string-swept power ballad Bluest Sky. She has drawn the coveted final slot in the running order.

The contest is a leaner affair than its European parent. Its music video set a beach full of flames, but Abdul's team has opted for pared-back staging in the live show.

Who else can win?

Carmelle represents the Philippines with Sobra-Sobra, considered another frontrunner. The feminist anthem declares that women are neither "too much" nor "not enough" and mixes contemporary Philippine pop with a rapped middle section delivered in an increasingly strident tone.

Laos sends Thinla with Bae, a track whose chorus revolves almost entirely around repeating the word "Bae". Sonically it sits near Tarkan's Şımarık, known in the English-speaking world through Holly Valance's cover Kiss Kiss.

What about the ballads?

Host nation Thailand fields the duet Mang x Daou with Aroma. Its overcomplicated structure may appeal to the jury, but broad audience appeal looks doubtful. Cambodia's Monetrey takes the ballad route with I Let You Go, which delays his vocal entrance by 30 seconds of a three-minute song — a decision the source calls "frankly bizarre", predicting arena audiences will assume his microphone has failed.

Not that Beck

Mongolia sends Ganbatyn Munkhbayar, who performs under the moniker Beck — no relation to the American artist behind Ride Lonesome. The Mongolian Beck has careers in music and acting, and has also stood for election. His national final was touched by scandal: the winning song was found to have been previously released, so Beck instead sings the runner-up, Chamguigeer (Without You).

Which acts brought the staging?

Nepal's Pratik Himal Rai clearly got the memo. His rock number Ananta Maya previously featured him in an ornately ruffled top inside a gauze tent while men in balaclavas writhed around him. For Bangkok, the tent gives way to a heart-shaped arch and the balaclavas become strange mesh masks. His falsetto forays, the source warns, might prove tricky live.

Vietnam's Tóc Tiên, 37, is one of the lineup's veterans. She got her early break by reportedly exaggerating her age to meet competition entry requirements. Her entry Em Tiên stitches a synthpop track to a bpm-hiking finale the source likens to something off the Vengaboys' cutting-room floor. The national final's lampshade-like costumes appear to have been dropped.

Who is hosting — and how do you watch?

Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop host, and Dara, the 2026 Eurovision winner, brings her Bangaranga to the interval show. Nearly half the entries still lean on English lyrics, and restrictive attitudes to homosexuality in some broadcast territories have tempered the campness and LGBTQ+ representation associated with the European original.

Australian viewers can watch on SBS; European viewers on the Eurovision YouTube channel at 14.30 CET (13.30 GMT) on Saturday. Whether Abdul converts her favouritism into the inaugural title will be decided by jury and televote on the night.