Moscow: Russia on Saturday hosts Intervision, an international song contest that was a regular fixture in Soviet states in the 1960s and 70s. The revival follows Russia's exclusion from Eurovision since its full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine. On Saturday night, the lights in Moscow's 11,000-capacity Live Arena will illuminate the Intervision song contest, marking the return of the Soviet-era counterpart to Europe's pop juggernaut, Eurovision.
According to France24.com, the 2025 revival of Intervision promises a more global outlook compared to its heyday in the 1960s and 70s, when it was regularly held in Poland and mostly featured countries from the Eastern bloc. The organizers of Saturday's spectacular show have promised participants from around 20 countries, including Moscow's heavyweight allies China, India, and Saudi Arabia, as well as an entry from the United States. The jury members are also far from impartial, including Colombia's ambassador to Russia.
Dr. Precious Chatterje-Doody, a specialist in Russian foreign policy and senior lecturer at the Open University, notes that the event has the hallmark of Kremlin-sponsored media and cultural projects. Despite attempts to portray this as an inclusive international music event, it is political through and through.
The return of Intervision comes three years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to its expulsion from the annual Eurovision Song Contest, a significant blow to the Kremlin's image on the global stage. Although Eurovision is often derided as kitsch, it is also a cultural behemoth that ranks among the world's most-watched non-sporting events. Official figures show 166 million people tuned in to the 2025 contest, which was broadcast by 37 media outlets, with online posts and videos garnering 2 billion views.
William Lee Adams, Eurovision commentator and author of "Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision," explains that for Moscow, Eurovision was a vehicle for projecting soft power to the world and rewriting prevailing narratives about its values. Hosting the 2009 Eurovision final in Moscow was an endeavor the Kremlin took seriously, with the event being a $30 million extravaganza—then the most expensive in Eurovision history.
Vitaly Kazakov, a postdoctoral fellow at Aarhus University in Denmark, states that a successful event was a way to legitimize Putin's regime domestically and overseas. It allowed Russian political, cultural, and economic elites to signal an image of domestic stability, prosperity, and support for the Kremlin.
Dr. Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London, suggests that re-launching a home-grown counterpart to Eurovision gives Russia a chance to return to the global stage on its own terms. At Intervision, Russia can set the agenda of a music contest in opposition to the cultural initiatives of what it calls the decadent, liberal West, including Eurovision.
Kazakov notes that hosting events like Intervision and the BRICS Games remains important to the Russian authorities as a way of signaling to the Russian population and international audiences that things are normal, even despite the ongoing war. They are also a chance for Moscow to counter the narrative that it is isolated on the world stage and to make the broader point that Russia doesn't just join the projects of other states—it can host its own initiatives, including international cultural events.
The inclusion of any Western performer at Intervision is rare, but this year, two Western performers will participate. R&B singer Brendan Howard, rumored to be Michael Jackson's son, will represent the United States while Balkan music legend Slobodan Trkulja will represent EU-candidate country Serbia. Although Washington will not send an official delegation or take part in the jury, the US administration has not objected to Howard's participation, according to the Russian foreign ministry.
Kazakov adds that the inclusion of two Western performers is an additional boon for Russia, playing directly into its messaging about how the West is divided. According to Russian figures, the breadth of countries performing at Intervision could lead to unprecedented viewership.
Adams points out that part of what makes Eurovision an enduring success is that participating countries all watch at the same time and vote together. In contrast, there are 11 time zones between Brazil and Vietnam, both of whom are reportedly broadcasting Intervision.
The music itself will be a focal point. If Eurovision has carved itself a niche for flamboyant Europop that ranks highly in terms of entertainment value, what will Intervision offer as an alternative? Putin's call for a focus on traditional values could be the competition's downfall. Adams observes that it could feel a bit too vanilla, noting that those rules do not a pop banger make.