A total of 20 countries will participate in the international music competition Intervision, an alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Moscow, Russia, at the end of September.
“This year, 20 countries will participate in the contest,” announced the event’s organizers to the Russian state agency TASS.
The countries include “Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Vietnam”, the same source revealed.
The competition will be held at the Live Arena in Moscow on September 20, 2025, and three months ahead of the event, some countries have already announced the artists representing them.
Belarus will be represented by Nastya Kravchenko, Cuba by Zulema Iglesias Salazar, Kyrgyzstan by Nomad, Qatar by Dana Al Meer, Serbia by Slobodan Trkukla and Balkanopolis, and Venezuela by Omar Acedo.
Russia, the host country, will be represented by singer Shaman, who gained popularity in 2022 after performing patriotic songs in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the Intervision stage, he will perform ‘Pryamo po serdtsu’.
On February 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the Intervision to be held, with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko appointed as the head of the organizing committee. This decision came three years after Russia was excluded from Eurovision due to the invasion of Ukraine.
During the Soviet era, a contest with the same name was held among USSR allied countries, and following the bloc’s collapse, several attempts were made to revive the format.
Since the fall of the USSR, Russian television has aired various programs under the same name on a smaller scale. In 2014, Russia announced its intention to relaunch the contest, though so far, without success.
23 participations and one victory: Russia’s journey in Eurovision
Russia participated in Eurovision from 1994 to 2021 and won the European contest in 2008 with Dima Bilan and ‘Believe’. The following year, the event was held in Moscow.
Besides the victory, the country achieved other notable results in Eurovision. In 2010, 2006, 2012, and 2015, it secured second place. In 2023, 2007, 2016, and 2019, it landed in third place.
On February 25, a day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, announced that “no Russian artist” would participate in the contest.
“This decision reflects the concern that, given the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, including Russia in this year’s contest would discredit the competition,” stated the EBU at the time.
Recall Russia’s participations in Eurovision:
