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The long-awaited Eurovision Asia Song Contest looks set to be held on the Gold Coast next year, according to a Gold Coast City Council report.
At this stage, the event is slated to be held from November 30 to December 7, 2019 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The eight day event is said to feature “high profile artists” from 16 Asia Pacific countries, with “red carpet arrivals”, “press meet and greets” and a “three-hour live broadcast grand final”.
“Eurovision Asia is huge,” Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate told 9NEWS.
“(It reaches) over 200 million people.”
The report said the event will “imitate the Eurovision Song Contest” with a “similar system” of voting to the European version with an “industry jury delivering 50 percent of the vote (and) the remaining 50 percent coming from public televoting”.
It’s hoped the event will create a festival atmosphere across the Gold Coast with fan sites and a Eurovision Asia Village at the city’s Arts Precinct, HOTA.
Some of the countries in negotiation to participate include China, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UAE.
The report indicates that a full line-up of countries will be announced in May next year.
It also says the event’s long term strategy is to hold Eurovision Asia on the Gold Coast every four years for the next 12 years.
Gold Coast City Council’s aim is to make the city the “home of Eurovision” – with the city to also host the Australia selection show for Eurovision, called Eurovision: Australia Decides, in February.
A spokesperson for license holder, SBS, said “Eurovision Asia is still in development”
“We continue to have a number of discussions on bringing the event to life, however nothing is confirmed at this stage. We are thrilled to have recently announced Australia’s first Eurovision selection show to choose the song and artist that will represent Australia in May, Eurovision – Australia Decides to be held on the Gold Coast in February.”
Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest four times since its debut at the 2015 contest in Vienna.
Dami Im claimed Australia’s best result, placing second in 2016 with the ballad Sound of Silence.
Guy Sebastian finished fifth in 2015 and Isaiah Firebrace finished ninth in 2017.
Australia’s golden girl Jessica Mauboy, who started Australia’s Eurovision journey with an interval performance in 2014, came a shocking 20th in 2018.
“I honestly felt like I gave it my all and sang my heart out,” she said, congratulating the winner, Netta Barzilai who took the gong for Israel.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018
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