Intriguingly, the concluding roster of entrants features the United States.
Putin instructed to revive “Intervision” / © Associated Press
Two nations, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, initially declared as participants, have pulled out of the Intervision 2025 music event, which Russia is promoting as an alternative to Eurovision.
This is conveyed by pro-government media outlets citing the “Traditions of Art” foundation.
As stated by the source, Azerbaijan and the UAE declined involvement in the contest “due to domestic circumstances and insufficient time for preparations.”
New list of participants
Madagascar has been included in the revised list, taking the place of Azerbaijan and the UAE. Currently, 19 countries will partake in the competition: Belarus, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Colombia, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, South Africa, and the USA.
The organizers highlighted that invitations were also extended to several European nations.
“This year, all continents will have representation at the competition, showcasing worldwide enthusiasm for the concept. Regrettably, certain countries couldn’t engage due to internal considerations, a scarcity of preparation time, and demanding schedules of governmental affairs,” the fund specified.
As a reminder, Russia has been excluded from Eurovision since 2022: the organizers suspended the country following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Against this backdrop, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, Olga Lyubimova, suggested revitalizing the Eurovision Song Contest as a “platform for cultural diversity in a multi-dimensional world.”
In February, Vladimir Putin ordered the staging of the event. The government allocated 750 million rubles for its arrangement. The finale is slated for September 20 at the Live Arena stadium in Odintsovo. Russia will be represented by vocalist SHAMAN (Yaroslav Dronov).
It’s worth noting that “Intervision” first emerged in the 1970s as a musical festival of the socialist bloc nations. It was conducted in Sopot, Poland, along with Prague and Bratislava.
It was previously communicated that Eurovision 2026 will occur in Austria.
Source: tsn.ua