Swedish television producers Christer Björkman and Peter Settman are moving closer to bringing the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia to Bangkok, with Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT now considering broadcasting the event live.
The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia is gathering momentum ahead of its scheduled debut in Bangkok on 14 November, with Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT entering discussions to broadcast the event live to Swedish audiences.
The discussions do not mean Sweden will compete in the contest. Instead, they signal growing European interest in the Asian version of the Eurovision format, which will feature broadcasters and performers from across Asia.
The project is led by two of Sweden’s best-known television producers, Christer Björkman and Peter Settman, who have spent several years developing Eurovision Asia following the success of the European contest. In interviews with Swedish media, they say the project has learned from earlier attempts to expand the Eurovision brand internationally and is being built step by step with broadcasters, commercial partners and digital distribution.
Bangkok will host the inaugural contest, with broadcasters from ten Asian countries already confirmed to participate and additional markets expected to join before November. The event will also be streamed globally on YouTube, allowing viewers worldwide to follow the competition.
The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia will take place at IdeaLive, one of Bangkok’s newest live entertainment venues, located within the BRAVO BKK complex in the Rama 9 district. Thailand’s Channel 3 will host the event together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Voxovation and S2O Productions.
The location is significantly not Impact Arena or BITEC , but the purpose-built, modern venue inside BRAVO BKK that opened in 2024. That in itself reflects that Eurovision Asia is positioning itself as a contemporary entertainment production rather than simply filling the largest available arena.
Should an agreement with SVT be reached, Swedish viewers would be able to watch the Bangkok event live through SVT Play, making Sweden among the first broadcasters outside Asia to bring Eurovision Asia to domestic audiences.
The countries and broadcasters confirmed to date as taking to the stage in Bangkok are:
Bangladesh – NTV
Bhutan – Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS)
Cambodia – TV5 Cambodia
Laos – Vientiane Capital Television (VTE9)
Malaysia – Media Prima (TV3)
Nepal – Himalaya TV
Philippines – ABS-CBN
South Korea – ENA (SK Telecom / KT Group)
Thailand – Channel 3
Vietnam – Vietnam Television (VTV 3)
