Eurovision’s Asia experiment gets under way in flamboyant Bangkok

Organisers hope extravagant attempt to transplant song contest will be a success

Thailand is about to get a glitz-infused injection of pop culture, with crews starting construction of a large stage in Bangkok as part of an extravagant attempt to transplant Eurovision to Asia.

Organisers have promised the world’s longest-running music competition will launch “a new chapter in Asia” next weekend, when 11 contestants from across the region will sing and dance for votes.

How much notice an Asian audience has shown in the experiment to replicate the beloved contest is yet to be seen, although organisers will hope it sets off a Eurovision-mania chain reaction. Several competitor countries, such as the Philippines and South Korea, already have avid Eurovision fanclubs.