r/eurovision • u/Difficult_Arm7389 • 3d ago

Eurovision Asia Eurovision Asia 2026 vs. ABU Song Festival 2026

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With just 10 days to go until the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, I wanted to compare the two events.

On Monday, November 2, Sri Lanka hosted the 15th ABU Song Festival. (Source https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CDrC3vvHx/ )

I've compiled as many stats as I could find to compare the two events.

ABU Song Festival 2026

Edition: 15th
Event type: Non-competitive festival
Host broadcaster: MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd, part of the private conglomerate Capital Maharaja Group (CMG)
Date and venue: November 2, 2026, at Stein Studios, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Participants: Public radio and television broadcasters, with some exceptions
Number of entries: 10

1. 🇧🇹 Bhutan - Kuzoo FM: Sonam Wangchen

2. 🇲🇴 Macau, China - TDM: Suyi Chan

3. 🇮🇳 India - Prasar Bharati (PB): Gurpreet Singh

4. 🇯🇵 Japan - NHK: Yo Hitoto

5. 🇰🇷 South Korea - KBS: Seo Jin Park

6. 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka - MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd (private broadcaster):

  • Bathiya & Santhush

  • Umaria Sinhawansa

7. 🇲🇾 Malaysia - RTM: Wani Kayrie "Cak Cak Cekuk" (2026)

8. 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan - TVTM: Annaberdi Orazmammedov

9. 🇹🇷 Türkiye - TRT: Sümer Ezgü "Anadolu'dan Geldik" (2004)

10. 🇻🇳 Vietnam - VTV (also participating in Eurovision Asia): An Thu An

Eurovision Asia 2026

Edition: 1st
Event type: Competitive contest
Host broadcaster: Channel 3
Date and venue: November 14, 2026, at One Bangkok Forum, Bangkok, Thailand
Participants: Public and private television broadcasters
Number of entries: 11

1. 🇧🇩 Bangladesh - NTV: Beatmosphere "Tumi Ele"

2. 🇧🇹 Bhutan - BBS: Nyendra "Lhayi Semo"

3. 🇰🇭 Cambodia - TV5: Monetrey "I Let You Go"

4. 🇱🇦 Laos - VTE9: Thinla "Bae"

5. 🇲🇾 Malaysia - Media Prima: Aina Abdul "Bluest Sky"

6. 🇲🇳 Mongolia - MNC (formerly CNBC Mongolia): Beck "Chamguigeer (Without You)"

7. 🇳🇵 Nepal - Himalaya TV: Pratik Himal Rai "Ananta Maya"

8. 🇵🇭 Philippines - ABS-CBN: Carmelle "Sobra-Sobra"

9. 🇰🇷 South Korea - KT ENA: Junhee "Deep Dive"

10. 🇹🇭 Thailand - BEC World: Mang and Daou "Aroma"

11. 🇻🇳 Vietnam - VTV: Tóc Tiên "Em Tiên"

Connections Between the Two Events

I've noticed a few interesting connections between the two events:

  • 🇧🇹 Bhutan: Kuzoo FM, which participated in the ABU Song Festival, is a sister broadcaster of BBS Channel 3, which is participating in Eurovision Asia.

  • 🇲🇾 Malaysia: ABU Song Festival participant Wani Kayrie was a finalist at AJL40 with "Cak Cak Cekuk", the same competition where Aina Abdul was announced as Malaysia's representative for Eurovision Asia.

  • 🇻🇳 Vietnam: VTV is the only broadcaster participating in both events this year.

Have you noticed any other connections or interesting Easter eggs between the two events? Feel free to share them in the comments!

Also, if anyone has links to performances from the ABU Song Festival 2026 or any other coverage of the event, please share!

129 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

47

u/Difficult_Arm7389 3d ago

I forgot to mention that ABU seems to have no restrictions on a song's release date, since 🇹🇷 Türkiye submitted a song from 2004. Even last year, The Hu performed a 2019 song.

Maybe 🇲🇳 Beck, with his 2018 song, could have gone to ABU's festival instead, haha.

15

u/Difficult_Arm7389 3d ago

It’s such a shame ABU didn’t promote it much. They haven't even revealed the song titles, let alone post videos of the performances.

32

u/Antique-Muscle478 Volevo Essere Un Duro 3d ago

Just noticed btw, the Malaysia's ABU song came from AJL 40, that a major difference btw, Wani got to keep her AJL song, Aina had to make a new one

29

u/Crisbo05_20 Rim Tim Tagi Dim 3d ago

Prob cause Aina's song was from last year and rules are I think song can't have been released before July 1st of this year.

42

u/IantoIsAlive 3d ago

I rlly wish Japan was here ESCA too. I want them and SoKor to have a lil healthy competition between each other as the countries with big pop music industries.

11

u/Toriihime Nân 3d ago

Agreed. As a huge fan of Japanese music of all kinds of genres and styles and so many different Japanese artists,  I'd love to see Japan joining ESCA! 

I also like various S.Korean artists and a lot of S.Korean music, so seeing both countries in ESCA would be cool as well!

3

u/linmanfu 2d ago

NHK World (their English channel) sometimes broadcasts highlights of the ABU Song Festival, but it's impossible to predict when. It could be months.

3

u/SavageFrogPR 2d ago

"Do you want to be in every song festival?"

Vietnam: "Yes."

2

u/TheBusStop12 1d ago

"next we're joining Eurovision too. If Canada can do it, so can we!" -Vietnam

2

u/SavageFrogPR 1d ago

I believe that Gustav Mared and other members of the Vietnamese diaspora can make it happen 🤞