Asiavision Song Contest 2021

Semi-final 1 date
 Semi-final 2 date
 Final date
 Venue
 Interval act
 Number of entries
 Debuting countries

The Asiavision Song Contest 2021 will be the 3rd edition of the annual Asiavision Song Contest. It is expected to take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, following Binz's victory at the 2020 contest with the song "OK". 46 countries confirmed their participation in the 2021 edition, the lowest ever since the contest began. In spite of the pandemic, the contest saw the debut of Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, as well as the return of East Timor, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. However, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Nepal, Northern Cyprus, Palestine, Vanuatu and Yemen all withdrew. It was then revealed that the entries from Brunei, New Zealand and Sri Lanka had all been released publicly before the 1st January 2021, and therefore all 3 countries were given 24 hours to respond. The delegation of New Zealand apologised for the incident and immediately changed their entry, later apologising for the incident and promising that it would not happen again. Sri Lanka also apologised for the incident, however decided to withdraw from the contest. Brunei, on the other hand, did not respond so was therefore disqualified, reducing the number of participating countries down to 44. All 3 countries were warned that if such an incident happened again, the response would be 'less lenient'. Due to this leading to an imbalance in semi-final participants, East Timor was drawn to move to the second semi final.

## Location

The contest is expected to take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City commonly known by its previous name, Saigon, is the most populous and largest city of Vietnam. According to the 2019 census, Ho Chi Minh City has a population of over 8.9 million within the city proper and over 21 million within the metropolitan area. Located in south-eastern Vietnam, the city surrounds the Saigon River and covers about 2,061 square kilometres (796 square miles). Ho Chi Minh City is an economic and financial centre, and plays an important role in the country's cultural and scientific developments.

Prior to Vietnamese settlement in the 17th century, the city was a scarcely populated area that had been part of historic kingdoms of Funan, Champa, and Khmer successively. With the arrival of the Vietnamese, the area became more prosperous and officials began establishing the city from 1623 to 1698. After it was ceded by the last Vietnamese dynasty to the French in 1862, the name Saigon was adopted and the city underwent urbanisation to become an important economic centre in the region. The city was the capital of South Vietnam until the end of the Vietnam War with North Vietnamese victory in 1975. In 1976, the government of a unified Vietnam renamed Saigon to its current official name in honour of the communist leader Hồ Chí Minh.

Ho Chi Minh City is a regional force in finance and business, classified as a Beta city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. The city is an emerging international tourist destination, with popular landmarks related to the remnants of its colonial past showcased through colonial architecture. A major transportation hub, the city hosts the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the busiest airport in Vietnam. With rapid economic development, Ho Chi Minh City is also undergoing construction of newly constructed 'high-tech' zones and additional educational institutions, and serves as a major media and entertainment outlet.

## Participating Countries

### Semi-Final 1

19 countries will participate in the first semi final. Australia, China and Vietnam will also vote in this semi.

### Semi-Final 2

19 countries will participate in the second semi final. India, Indonesia and Japan will also vote in this semi.

### Grand Final

26 countries will participate in the grand final, with all 44 countries voting.

## Other Countries

* Armenia: On 12th December 2020, the country stated that due to it being overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases and the recent war with Azerbaijan, it would not return for the 2021 contest, having last participated in 2019.
* Brunei: Despite initially selecting Indra Jaman to return to represent the country with the song "Awan", it was announced that the song had been publicly released before 1st January 2021 and would therefore be ineligible. Brunei was given 24 hours to respond. However the country did not respond so was therefore disqualified.
* Cyprus: On 20th January 2021, Cyprus announced that it would withdraw from the 2021 edition due to Covid-19 in the country, as well as the poor result in 2020. The country stated that it hoped to return to the contest and participate along the countries of Asia.
* Egypt: On 27th December 2020, Egypt stated that due to just missing out on qualifying in 2020 and the current restrictions caused by Covid-19, the country had "no motivation" to participate again in 2021.
* Georgia: The country announced on the 12th December 2020, just hours after the announcement from Armenia that it would withdraw from the 2021 edition due to being overwhelmed with Covid-19, having last participated in 2020.
* Israel: The country announced on the 20th December that it would not return in 2021 due to Covid-19 concerns as well as the political situation in Jerusalem, having last participated in 2019.
* Jordan: The country revealed that despite their 'excellent results', they would withdraw from the 2021 contest on 13th December 2020, due to the sudden increase in Covid-19 cases in order to protect their citizens but hoped to return soon, after just missing out on a spot in the top 10 in 2020.
* Kyrgyzstan: On the 18th November 2020, Kyrgyzstan was the first country to announce its withdrawal, due to the 'worryingly high' rate of infection of Covid-19 in the country, but announced its intention to return as soon as possible, having placed 7th in 2020.
* Lebanon: On the 22nd December 2020, it was announced that Lebanon would not take part in the 2021 edition due to the sudden rise in cases, major explosion in Beirut and political turmoil throughout the country, having last participated in 2020.
* Myanmar: On the 1st February 2021, just hours after the military seized control of the country and a state of emergency was declared, it was announced that Myanmar would not return to the contest in 2021, since its last participation in 2019. The country also stated that a return in 2022 was 'unlikely'.
* Nepal: In early May 2021, the country stated that participation was "unlikely" due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however an official withdrawal was not confirmed. Then on 29th May 2021, the country stated that it was not able to participate due to the pandemic.
* Northern Cyprus: The host country, Vietnam, stated that "if there are few enough participating countries", Northern Cyprus would be allowed to participate. However, on 29th May 2021, Vietnam stated that since more than 40 countries had confirmed their participation, there was no need for Northern Cyprus to be present.
* Palestine: On the 1st January 2021, Palestine confirmed that despite hosting the 2020 edition, it would not participatein 2021 due to the prevalence of Covid-19 in the country.
* Sri Lanka: Despite initially selecting Stephanie Sansoni & Pasan Liyanage to represent the country with the song "Sihineka arthaya", it was announced that the song had been publicly released before 1st January 2021 and would therefore be ineligible. Sri Lanka was also given 24 hours to respond. Sri Lanka responded by apologising for the incident, however decided to withdraw from the contest.
* Vanuatu: On the 23rd December 2020, Vanuatu announced its withdrawal due to Covid-19 in order to protect its citizens and prevent further infection in the country.
* Yemen: On the 12th May, it was announced that Yemen was unable to submit an entry to the contest due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country, and thus would withdraw from the 2021 edition.