The Intervision Song Contest is set to be the BRICS nations’ answer to Eurovision, with the inaugural event scheduled for September in Moscow. This competition is not entirely new—it mirrors a similar event held during the Cold War years of 1965 and 1977, where the Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary took part.
The revival of the contest comes directly from the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on the project this Monday, with the idea first proposed by Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in September 2023. The initiative follows Eurovision’s decision to bar Russia from the 2022 competition due to the ongoing war, sparking criticism over perceived double standards, particularly when Israel was allowed to participate despite accusations of war crimes.
The Intervision Song Contest aims to include all BRICS members, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and any other interested countries, with Russian state media, RT, reporting that the competition will avoid political influence. Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russia’s Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, confirmed that all BRICS nations have agreed to join, and there’s growing interest from Latin American countries as well. The first event will take place in Moscow this September.
