Later this November the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. Now South Korea has confirmed the eight acts for its national final, Korea’s Next Wave on September 4.
Korea’s Next Wave set for September 4
Local broadcaster ENA has confirmed the eight acts that will participate in the upcoming, Korea’s Next Wave. The selection will take place on September 4 with the winning act going on to represent South Korea in the first ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 later this year. The chosen artists are as follows:
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- Angel Noise
- huiAe
- JUNHEE
- KIK
- PLZY
- Sojeong Shim
- Younghoon Ji
More details on the competing entries will be released in the coming weeks.
Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026
Taking up the hosting honours for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 is Thailand and its broadcaster Channel 3. The venue of choice is IdeaLive in Bangkok. This entertainment space is Bangkok’s newest venue in BRAVO BKK. It has a capacity of over 4,000 seated guests. So far eleven broadcasters have declared interest in participation:
- Thailand – Channel 3 – (Host)
- South Korea – ENA (SK Telecom / KT Group)
- Malaysia – Media Prima (TV3)
- Philippines – ABS-CBN
- Vietnam – Vietnam Television (VTV3)
- Cambodia – TV5 Cambodia
- Laos – Vientiane Capital Television (VTE9)
- Bangladesh – NTV
- Bhutan – Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS)
- Nepal – Himalaya TV
- Mongolia – MNC
Each entry submitted will follow the example of Eurovision itself. No more than six performers on stage and the song must not be longer than three minutes. Later in November, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will be chosen using Eurovision’s 50% jury and 50% public voting method. The one-off Grand Final will be aired live on the official Eurovision YouTube Channel, with televised broadcasts within the competing nations. International broadcasters may also choose to buy broadcast rights within their programming schedule.
Similarly to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest format, the winning broadcaster is not automatically forced to host the following edition. Instead a bidding process will take place after the 2026 contest concludes to decide who will host the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2027.
Stay tuned with more announcements on participants expected in the coming weeks and months!
Who should represent South Korea at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026? Let us know! Keep track of the latest news by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra.bsky.social on Bluesky, @escxtra on Instagram, @escxtra on TikTok, subscribing to YouTube and liking our Facebook page! Also, follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts.
