Vietnamese singer Toc Tien to open Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 final

Ahead of the final, Toc Tien and her team have completed preparations for the performance.

Compared with the version presented at the national selection, Em Tien has been revised in its musical arrangement, choreography, dancer formations and costumes for the international competition.

Toc Tien said she was focusing on delivering her best performance rather than putting pressure on herself over the competition's results. She hopes international audiences will remember the song's melody and recognize it as a Vietnamese-language entry performed by Vietnam's representative.

Em Tien revised for the final

Em Tien was created by the S HUBE team, with contributions from producer DUONGK and songwriter HAROSÉ.

The song was selected to represent Vietnam at Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 following the national selection.

The song combines traditional folk-inspired musical elements and instruments with modern electronic sounds.

Its concept portrays Vietnamese women as both connected to traditional cultural values and confident, open-minded and modern.

Toc Tien said the final version retains elements that audiences previously enjoyed, with changes to musical climaxes, choreography and dancer formations.

The costumes have also been redesigned as part of the revised performance.

Her team has coordinated with the organizers in Thailand on technical requirements, props and stage effects to adapt the production to the venue.

Toc Tien said the basic choreography had been completed before the final.

She continued rehearsing the coordination of dance movements, costumes and props to ensure the performance ran smoothly.

Toc Tien hopes audiences remember the song's Vietnamese identity

Vietnam has been assigned the opening slot in the final, making Toc Tien the first artist to perform on behalf of the country at the competition.

The singer said she remained relaxed ahead of the performance despite the workload involved in the preparations.

She said she was prioritizing her performance over the competition's results.

Toc Tien noted that the 11 representatives from 11 countries were talented artists, each with a distinct musical style and fan base.

She said each contestant should focus on delivering their best performance.

Asked what she hoped international audiences would remember, Toc Tien highlighted the song's melody and Vietnamese lyrics.

"Toc Tien hopes international audiences will remember the melody of Em Tien, and especially remember a version of Em Tien clearly sung in Vietnamese by a representative of Vietnam. If the performance is impressive enough for people to remember that image, that is what Tien hopes for most," she said.

The final is scheduled to begin at 8:30 pm today, November 14, with a live broadcast on VTV3 and the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.