Bhutan has revealed the five acts that will compete to represent the country at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026. The announcement was made by national broadcaster Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS), confirming the line-up for the country's selection show, Rhythm of Bhutan.
The five finalists are The Sangay Lhaden Band, Baeyul 301, Karma Drupchu, Thukten Nyendra and Pelden Wangchuk. They will compete for the opportunity to represent Bhutan at the Eurovision Asia Grand Final in Bangkok, Thailand, on 14 November.
The selection marks an important step in Bhutan's preparations for the competition, with the country becoming one of the first participants to confirm the artists who will take part in its national selection.
Meet the five finalists
The five acts announced by BBS bring together a mixture of solo performers and a band, reflecting different elements of Bhutan's contemporary music scene.
The finalists are:
The Sangay Lhaden Band – A band fronted by singer Sangay Lhaden.
Baeyul 301 – A musical group returning to the national selection stage.
Karma Drupchu – A solo performer competing for the opportunity to represent Bhutan.
Thukten Nyendra – A singer-songwriter who would later compete under the professional name Nyendra.
Pelden Wangchuk – Another returning name from Bhutan's previous selection process.
The five acts were chosen following a process involving auditions and live performances, according to reports surrounding the announcement.
A continuation of Bhutan's Druk Dra journey
The announcement also brings renewed attention to Druk Dra: Road to Eurovision Asia, the Bhutanese selection project that attracted interest in 2025.
The earlier competition had begun as part of Bhutan's preparations for Eurovision Asia, but its planned conclusion was postponed after the European Broadcasting Union clarified that the arrangements surrounding the proposed contest did not constitute an official Eurovision Asia selection.
Several performers associated with that earlier project subsequently returned to the spotlight through the 2026 selection process.
With Rhythm of Bhutan, BBS established a new route towards selecting the country's representative, while retaining a connection to the musical talent introduced through the earlier competition.
Rhythm of Bhutan set for August
The national selection was scheduled for 11 August 2026, when the five finalists would perform in front of a combination of professional jurors and viewers.
The winning act would earn the right to represent Bhutan at the first Eurovision Asia Grand Final in Bangkok.
At the time of the announcement, the five competing song titles and the complete running order had not yet been officially presented. Further details were expected in the days leading up to the show.
Bhutan's selection process was now officially taking shape, with five acts preparing for a decisive performance that would determine the country's first Eurovision Asia representative.
Written by Manios Themis
Themis Manios is the founder of escasia.news and song contest analyst. He has a Computer Science background and years of experience documenting international musical competitions including Eurovision's 70-year legacy. He provides a specialized perspective on the intersection of pop culture and regional identity. Through his dedicated coverage, he tracks the evolution of the contest format as it expands toward the historic Bangkok 2026 stage.
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