Russia’s revived Soviet music contest to take place in September

Organizers announced on Wednesday that Russia will host its “Intervision” music competition in September, following the revival of the Soviet-era contest by authorities as a purported counterpart to Eurovision.

Moscow’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been prohibited due to its military offensive in Ukraine, prompting President Vladimir Putin earlier this year to mandate the hosting of the USSR-era competition in Russia.

The Intervision Song Contest, primarily featuring participants from the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc nations, was held during the 1960s and 1970s as an alternative to the Western-dominated Eurovision.

Organizers have announced that Intervision 2025 is scheduled to take place at Moscow’s LIVE Arena on September 20th, promising performances from artists spanning “various continents” and “unforgettable emotions.”

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizing body behind Eurovision, imposed a ban on Russia following its February 2022 offensive in Ukraine, thereby precluding its entry and broadcast of the contest.

Russia has historically been a significant contender in Eurovision, having participated since 1994 and securing a victory in 2008.

President Putin issued a decree in February outlining the framework for holding this alternative competition.

The Intervision Song Contest was previously held in the 1960s and 1970s, before being succeeded by the Sopot International Song Festival, hosted in the Polish Baltic coastal city of Sopot and attracting artists from the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc.

Alla Pugacheva, widely regarded as Russia’s preeminent artist and pop icon, won the Intervision competition in 1978.