The forgotten world of Intervision, Russia’s Soviet era song contest revived for 2025

More than 20 nations, including the USA, are set to compete in the final tonight.

If you're from further afield you probably know Eurovision as that thing were those crazy Europeans sing songs, dress up in odd outfits and claim it's not political, but it really is.

However, while Eurovision reaches almost 200 million people each year, you probably haven't heard of its lesser known Soviet cousin, Intervision.

That's right, back in the chilly depths of the cold war, when France Gall was winning Eurovision for France, the Soviet Union was just setting its own version with its secluded allies.

The idea was to provide an alternative for the Eastern Bloc states and rarely were the West involved.

In fact, one of the only western artist to get the call up was Boney M who performed Rasputin in 1979 in the shows penultimate year.

Eastern nations would gradually convert to Eurovision with Russia later joining in 1994 only to be kicked out with Belarus in 2022 over the war in Ukraine.

Now, in an attempt at soft power in a world increasingly hard on Russia, Vladimir Putin has revived the show by presidential decree, and the final is tonight.

Taking place in Moscow’s 11,000-capacity Live Arena, the contest with see more than 20 other nations take part from all over the globe, and even the USA are set to make an appearance.

The Kremlin insists Intervision is not a political event but, rather, a forum for likeminded nations to promote “general cultural and spiritual values”.

Partaking nations include the likes of China, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Madagascar, Brazil, South Africa and Egypt, just to name a handful.

Europe, both Americas, Asia and Africa will be represented.

Two Western performers are set to participate.

R&B singer Brendan Howard, rumoured to be Michael Jackson’s son, claims which he has denied, will represent the United States while Balkan music legend Slobodan Trkulja will represent Serbia, a nation caught between keeping up relations with the EU and Russia.

The song contest is being streamed internationally on YouTube for anyone curious to see what this Eurovision alternative might look like.