Eurovision Song Contest Asia comes to SBS as 2027 song search opens – SBS will bring the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia to Australian viewers in November, while opening a separate search this week for the artist and song that could represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027.
The two announcements offer different opportunities for Australian fans. Australia is not among the 11 nations competing in the new Asian contest, but SBS will screen it here. Australian singers and songwriters can also enter the broadcaster’s 2027 song-search process, with the portal open for three weeks.
How to watch Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Australia
The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia takes place in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, 14 November 2026. SBS says the event will stream live on SBS On Demand from midnight on Saturday, 14 November, with a replay on SBS2 on Sunday, 15 November. Courtney Act will provide SBS’s Australian commentary. Viewers should check SBS listings closer to the event for the precise local start and replay times.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are the 11 participating countries. Australia is a broadcaster of the event, not a contestant. Thai presenters Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop will host the Bangkok show. Milintachinda is known for Woody Talk and founded the S2O Songkran Music Festival; Bishop is an English- and Thai-speaking presenter known internationally for Asia’s Next Top Model.
The Asian edition gives artists and broadcasters across the region a shared stage under the Eurovision banner. The European Broadcasting Union announced the Bangkok event earlier this year as the contest’s first multinational expansion beyond its established European format. SBS’s confirmation today answers the practical question for Australian viewers: they will have a local live stream even though Australia is not entering an act.
SBS Song Portal opens for Australia’s Eurovision 2027 entry
The broadcaster’s second announcement looks ahead to the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria. Its Song Portal opens on Saturday, 17 October and closes on Saturday, 7 November 2026. Artists can register interest in representing Australia, while songwriters can submit an original song for consideration.
SBS will select Australia’s eventual entry internally. Registering or submitting a song does not guarantee an artist or songwriter a place in Burgas. The portal is an invitation to be considered, not a public vote or a confirmed national final.
Key eligibility rules for songs
- The song must be no longer than three minutes.
- At least one member of the songwriting team must be an Australian citizen.
- The song must not have been released or publicly performed, in whole or in part, before Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
SBS says it is seeking distinctive contemporary songs with the potential to connect on a major international stage. Its recent Eurovision representatives have spanned very different styles, from Dami Im and Kate Miller-Heidke to Voyager, Electric Fields, Go-Jo and Delta Goodrem. The portal provides the next route for artists and writers to put forward a different Australian sound.
Those interested in entering should read the full eligibility and entry rules on SBS’s public Eurovision page before submitting. For viewers, the immediate next date is the Song Portal opening on 17 October; the Asian contest follows on 14 November.
For more TV Central SBS Eurovision coverage, read our report on Australia’s 2026 Eurovision audience. For entry requirements and viewing details, visit SBS’s public Eurovision hub.
