The contest has been revived by President Vladimir Putin and Russian artists have been banned from participating in Eurovision since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
About Intervision Song Contest
Moscow claims that the competition aims to promote “national identity” and “traditional values” and there will be no “perversions or mockery of human nature,” according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The queer community in Russia has been facing persecution in recent years.
There will be 23 countries taking part in the event near Moscow, including countries like Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, China, and India.
The artists will compete for a cash prize 30 million rubles (€306,000; $360,000) and the organizers hope to have over one billion TV viewers tune in for the event.
Russia’s representation will come from the ultranationalist singer Yaroslav Dronov, who will perform as “Shaman” and sing the song “Straight to the Heart.”
Geopolitics Come to the Forefront
Apart from Serbia and Belarus, no countries in Europe will be represented at the competition. This is due to the strained relationship between Euro-Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Conversely, the United States has not been shunned by the Kremlin-backed event. Australian-born singer Vassy will perform for the US.
Rock singer Joe Lynn Turner will represent the US on the jury.
The next Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in Vienna in 2026.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
