The fifth ABU TV Song Festival gathered fourteen participating nations in Bali for a non-competitive celebration of regional music traditions.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 5th annual
- Date
- 22 October 2016
- Participating countries
- 14
- Venue
- Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre
- Debut participant
- Tunisia
- Withdrawn countries
- India, Malaysia, Turkey
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union established its annual TV Song Festival as a non-competitive platform for member broadcasters to showcase national musical talent. By 2016, the event had grown to include fourteen confirmed nations, with Tunisia joining for the first time and China and Sri Lanka returning after absences.
On 22 October 2016, the ABU TV Song Festival was held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre in Indonesia. Fourteen countries participated in this non-competitive event, while India, Malaysia, and Turkey withdrew, and Myanmar and Vanuatu opted not to make their debut.
Tunisia's debut expanded the festival's geographic reach beyond the Asia-Pacific region, and the continued rotation of returning and withdrawing nations reflected the voluntary, non-competitive nature of the event, which relies on broadcaster commitment each cycle.