Own Asiavision Song Contest 26

Own Asiavision Song Contest 26, often referred to as OASC #26, is the 26th edition of Own Asiavision Song Contest. It took place in Muscat, Oman, following No Wyld's win in the 25th edition with the song "Let Me Know". It was the first time Oman had hosted the contest. Organised by the Own Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and host broadcaster Sultanate of Oman Television, the contest was held at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium, and consisted of one quarter-final, two semi-finals and the final. The four live shows were hosted by Mo Kheir and Tate McRae.

Fifty-one countries participated in the contest. Hong Kong, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu returned to the competition, while Bangladesh, French Polynesia, South Korea and Vietnam withdrew for various reasons.

The winner was Fiji with the song "Happy Hour" performed by Rosette. This was country's second victory in the contest, the last one being in the seventh edition. Fiji also became the first Oceanian country to win the contest twice. The podium was completed by Syria, which equaled their best result achieved in the sixteenth edition and China. Taiwan, Thailand and Bahrain rounded up the top 6, with Bahrain achieving their best result as well as the first ever top 10 placement. The host nation Oman finished last. The edition marked the first time that Singapore failed to qualify for the final.

Location
Further information on the host country: Oman

Host city
Muscat  is the capital city and is the most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1.4 million as of September 2018. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 and includes six provinces called wilayats. Known since the early 1st century AD as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese Empire, the Iberian Union and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians and the Balochis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society. Muscat is termed as a Beta - Global City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum, liquified natural gas and porting.

Venue
The Sultan Qaboos Stadium at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, also known locally as Boshar, is a government-owned multi-purpose stadium in the Boshar district of Muscat, Oman. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and also has facilities for athletics. The stadium originally had a capacity of over 40,000, but after recent renovations the capacity was reduced to 34,000 people. It is the home stadium of the Oman national football team. The Qaboos Stadium was used as the main stadium in the 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations, and was also used in the 1996 Gulf Cup competition. The Complex has strong security, in addition to over 10,000 parking slots.

The stadium hosted the 2018 Men's Asian Champions Trophy, a hockey tournament.

Semi-final allocation draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on 4 June 2021. The first part of the draw determined in which semi-final the Big Six would have to vote. The second part of the draw decided in which half of the respective semi-finals each country would perform, with the exact running order determined by the producers of the show at a later date. Twenty-one countries participated in each semi-final. From each semi-final, ten countries joined the "Big 6" in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries participated.

The forty-two semi-finalists were allocated into six pots, based on their geographical place and cultural similarities. Drawing from different pots helps in reducing the chance of so-called neighbour voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. Each time a country was drawn from the pot, its semi-final and half of the semi-final was determined.

The six pots were the following:

Quarter-final
Ten countries participated in the quarter-final. Every country could vote, with the participants accounting for 50% of the results and the Rest of the World for the other 50% of the results.

Semi-final 1
Twenty-one countries participated in the first semi-final. Iraq, Japan and Oman also voted in this semi-final.

Semi-final 2
Twenty-one countries participated in the second semi-final. Palestine, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates also voted in this semi-final.

Final
Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all 50 participating countries eligible to vote.

Other countries
Eligibility for potential participation in the Own Asiavision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active OABU membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members has been sent in order to confirm whether they will participate or not.


 * Despite initially confirming participation for the Own Asiavision Song Contest 26, the head of the Bangladesh Television (BTV) have decided to withdraw their participation as they are currently focusing on other projects. A return in the next edition is yet to be discussed, but that has not been ruled out.
 * The country will not be present in the current edition due to scheduling issues, but a return next edition is confirmed.
 * The delegation responsible for the country's participation in the contest didn't respond to the invitation that was sent by the OABU, therefore the country would not be present this edition.
 * The country announced its withdrawal from this edition due to some organization in the delegation.