Eurovision Asia in doubt as serious production and financial troubles arise

With less than a month until the inaugural contest, serious problems have emerged which could threaten the future of the contest. Eurovision Asia is due to be held in Bangkok on 14th November with artists from 11 countries taking part.

However sources say that significant last minute changes have been made to the show’s production, which includes slashing the budget by around £1 million and firing almost every overseas staff member hired for the event.

Unlike the main the Eurovision which is organised by the local broadcaster, this edition is being organised by Voxovation, an events management firm based in Sweden. It owns the international rights to the contest and was responsible for the failed American Song Contest in 2022.

Their co-founder unexpectedly resigned earlier in the summer, although Eurovision Asia is not thought to be a reason for the sudden departure.

Thai based company Media Vision has now been given responsibility for the technical delivery of the event - that’s everything from lighting and pyrotechnics to cameras and sound. The stage has also been changed recently. This is thought to be due to closed doors boardroom politics between the international companies contracted to the event and the local companies overseeing the overall delivery.

Many sources, including Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, report that tensions are so high that it could see the contest being cancelled altogether if agreements aren’t reached in time. Sources inside the production indicate that the overall production team has lost control over the event and nobody really knows what will happen next.

A smaller production team, including a team from the EBU, is still expected to travel to Bangkok to oversee the contest.

Australia’s SBS and Poland’s TVP have agreed to broadcast the contest in their own countries, should it go ahead. There are currently no plans for the BBC or any other UK broadcaster to air the contest to British audiences.