Russia Launches Intervision Song Contest as Rival to Eurovision

Eurovision opus contest. Credit: Kjell Jøran Hansen CC BY-NC-SA-2.0 Flickr

Russia, barred from the Eurovision Song Contest since the 2022 penetration of Ukraine, volition signifier its ain Intervision euphony contention connected Saturday. The Kremlin-backed lawsuit revives a Soviet-era sanction and is billed arsenic a showcase for what officials picture arsenic “traditional household values.”

Global lineup spans much than fractional the world

Singers from 23 countries, including China, India, and Brazil, are acceptable to perform. Organizers accidental the combined colonisation of participating nations represents much than fractional of the world’s population. Contestants volition vie for a prize of 30 cardinal rubles, astir $360,000.

JUST IN: Russia revives the Intervision Song Contest, its ain mentation of Eurovision aft being excluded. Unusually, the U.S. volition enactment alongside China, Cuba, and different "friendly" countries successful what Moscow calls a level for taste and humanitarian ties pic.twitter.com/sQIg6A1Eus

— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo) September 20, 2025

Serbia is the lone federation taking portion successful some Eurovision and Intervision. The United States volition besides beryllium represented by Greek-Australian vocalist Vassy (Vasiliki Karagiorgos), who replaced U.S. R&B creator Brandon Howard aft his last-minute withdrawal for household reasons.

Performances tin beryllium delivered successful immoderate language. Unlike Eurovision, wherever viewers vote, the Intervision victor volition beryllium chosen by a nonrecreational assemblage with representatives from each country.

Contest to aerial successful Russia and abroad

The contention volition aerial unrecorded connected Russian authorities television. Organizers assertion it volition besides beryllium disposable online oregon done overseas broadcasters, with a imaginable scope of much than 4 cardinal people. They person not named which networks extracurricular Russia program to transportation the show.

Международный музыкальный конкурс "Интервидение" стартовал на Live Арене.

"Евровидение" нервно курит в сторонке. pic.twitter.com/yqw9HHiEoV

— Советский, злой, твой (@ussrlife) September 20, 2025

The contention borrows its sanction from a Soviet-era euphony festival erstwhile staged for Eastern European allies. The caller variation volition diagnostic performers from countries Moscow considers friendly, including Belarus, Cuba, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

Kremlin positions contention arsenic taste alternative

President Vladimir Putin ordered the instauration of the contention earlier this year, appointing a apical adjutant to caput its supervisory board. Ukrainian officials person denounced it arsenic “an instrumentality of hostile propaganda.”

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters earlier the lawsuit that Russia had not banned citizens from watching Eurovision. However, helium stated that Moscow sought to connection “alternative approaches to preserving traditions and nationalist cultures, arsenic good arsenic religious, spiritual and motivation constructs that we person inherited from our ancestors.”

#Intervision, the Soviet-era rival to Eurovision, is making a comeback this weekend. Russia is staging a expansive last and determination are 23 countries acceptable to instrumentality portion – from China, India, the US (more below) to Madagascar and Serbia – successful a TV spectacle oozing with AR and AI. pic.twitter.com/D0BBhTTUWK

— Ben Tavener (@BBCBenTavener) September 17, 2025

Lavrov added that organizers would invited planetary attention. “But we bash not quality the close of the assemblage oregon Eurovision viewers to ballot for a bearded antheral successful a dress,” helium said, a pointed notation to Austrian resistance performer Conchita Wurst, who won Eurovision successful 2014.

Strict laws signifier the taste backdrop

The event besides underscores Russia’s restrictive stance connected LGBT rights. The state enforces laws against actions deemed to beforehand homosexuality and has branded the “international LGBT nationalist movement” arsenic an extremist organization.

Russia fields Shaman arsenic its entry

Russia competed successful Eurovision 23 times from 1994 and won once, successful 2008, with Dima Bilan’s opus “Believe.”

For Intervision, Moscow volition beryllium represented by Yaroslav Dronov, known by his signifier sanction Shaman. He volition execute “Straight to the Heart” successful Russian. Dronov, who erstwhile simulated a atomic blast during a concert, has risen to prominence with patriotic anthems specified arsenic “I Am Russian,” making him a fixture connected authorities television.