BANGKOK (AP) — Filipino singer Carmelle won the first Asian edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with a fiery performance of her dance-pop song “Sobra-Sobra.”
Carmelle beat 10 other competitors in the grand finale held in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. National juries in participating countries and viewers around the world voted together to decide the winner.
Thai duo Mang x Daou placed second with an energetic performance of “Aroma,” a romantic pop number. Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên finished third with her upbeat and stylish stage presence during “Em Tiên.”
The contestants were introduced one by one, riding onto the stage aboard tuk-tuks — motorized three-wheeled vehicles commonly seen in Bangkok’s tourist districts — while proudly waving their national flags. Thousands of fans inside the city-center venue erupted in cheers as the performers made their entrance.
Bulgarian singer Dara, the winner of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held earlier this year in Vienna, performed as a special guest with her song “Bangaranga.”
The European contest strives to put music before politics but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It also has been roiled by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which prompted protests outside the venues and led organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving.
Five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted this year’s competition in protest against Israel’s participation.
