Filipino singer wins first Eurovision Asia contest in Bangkok

Filipino singer Carmelle won the first Asian edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, defeating 10 other acts in the grand final held in Bangkok.

The 19-year-old artist performed her dance-pop track, “Sobra-Sobra,” to secure the victory. The winner was determined by a combination of votes from national juries in participating countries and viewers from around the world.

Carmelle described her song as a celebration of female empowerment and a tribute to Filipino women. She told The Associated Press that the win carried a heavy weight because it marked a first for the region. “I made history, since this was the first time,” she said. “It’s such a big responsibility for me, because this one is a global stage, so thank you everybody who voted for me.”

The Thai duo Mang x Daou placed second with their performance of the romantic pop song “Aroma.” Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên took third with her rendition of “Em Tiên.” Malaysia’s Aina Abdul finished fourth with the ballad “Bluest Sky,” while Laos’s Thinla placed fifth with the dance track “Bae.”

Other competitors included entries from Bhutan, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. The event featured a distinctive local flair as contestants entered the venue aboard tuk-tuks, the motorized three-wheeled vehicles common in Bangkok’s tourist areas. Thousands of fans gathered in the city-center venue to cheer and wave national flags.

Bulgarian singer Dara appeared as a special guest, performing “Bangaranga,” the song that won her the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna earlier this year. While the European version of the contest has faced political tensions in recent years, the Asian edition appeared to focus more on the music.

Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic, who attended the show in Bangkok, noted that the atmosphere inside the venue was positive. He stated that the event served as a great window into the musical cultures of Asia, though he added that an analysis of voting patterns might later reveal political tendencies among the participating countries.