海角大神

For Europe 鈥� along with a handful of other countries 鈥� the annual international song competition has long been Eurovision: a contest among dozens of musicians in a glitzy spectacle that draws more than 150 million watchers. But for Russia, Eurovision has been off the table since 2022, when it was banned due to its invasion of Ukraine.

So Moscow has launched its own version of Eurovision, with a more global 鈥� though somewhat less inclusive 鈥� bent. And that competition makes its debut this weekend.

Musicians from 23 countries will perform this Saturday at an arena near Moscow in the new Intervision international song contest. The event鈥檚 Russian organizers are promoting it as a forum that will promote traditional values and unique national cultures 鈥� in contrast, they argue, to Eurovision.

鈥淢usic is a language that unites people,鈥� says Nidia G贸ngora, an award-winning singer who will in the competition. 鈥淚n our Latin culture, music has helped us so much to survive times of terrible troubles. The musician has a responsibility to perform music in part as a means of helping people to face the problems of this world.鈥� She says she鈥檚 delighted to be in Moscow, and she brushes away any questions concerning the geopolitical tensions that, inevitably, form the backdrop of the event.

Amid a growing global political rift, Moscow seems to be creating its own alternatives to many formerly universal events in order to pursue its own soft-power goals, while also providing exposure for its own athletes, artists, and entertainers, who are largely barred from Western-run venues these days. Today鈥檚 Intervision participants are coming from the more Russia-friendly countries of the Global South rather than from the former Soviet bloc. The Cold War-era mantra of such events was 鈥減eace and friendship,鈥� while today鈥檚 message is more about shared 鈥� and vaguely nonliberal 鈥� values in a diverse world.

Andrei Razygraev, creative director of the competition, says there is no place for propaganda in Intervision, which is only about 鈥渕usic, friendship, and holding a multicultural event.鈥�

But Russia鈥檚 exclusion from Eurovision is a sore point, he adds. Many Russians were already souring on the Western-sponsored event because of what they perceived as increasingly liberal and inclusive themes, including openly LGBTQ+ participants.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 us who decided not to take part in Eurovision, but over the past several years, it changed in ways that looked unpleasant to us,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e support traditional family values, and lately, Eurovision has featured a lot of things that absolutely do not correspond to our values.鈥�

Fred Weir

"The musician has a responsibility to perform music in part as a means of helping people to face the problems of this world," says Nidia G贸ngora, a Colombian folk singer and music researcher, at the Intervision venue in Moscow, Sept 12.

More global, more Russian

Like many of the lavishly produced sports, entertainment, and cultural events being promoted by the Russian government these days, the Intervision 2025 competition is a revival of a Soviet-era festival that was staged during the 1960s and 鈥�70s. That was for audiences in the socialist bloc to show off Soviet achievements, to give local talent a platform, and also 鈥� by including a few performers from Western countries 鈥� to suggest friendly outreach.

Besides a general commitment to traditional values, Mr. Razygraev says the Intervision contest seeks to highlight musical voices from around the world that express original national cultures that might otherwise get lost amid the noise of globalized commercial music.

鈥淲e support distinct, national musical styles, whether it鈥檚 Russian or anyone else鈥檚,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is about building bridges through music.鈥�

Another reason for Russia鈥檚 promotion of a more global set of participants than Eurovision鈥檚 seems to be due to what Russians call a growing tendency in the West to bar their culture. They point to recent cancellations of performances by world-renowned Russian artists such as famed soprano Anna Netrebko in London; pianist Denis Matsuev in Athens, Greece; and conductor Valery Gergiev in Naples, Italy.

鈥淲e need this contest more than ever,鈥� says Yury Aksyuta, a co-producer of Intervision. 鈥淧eople are accustomed to exchanging their musical experience, and that shouldn鈥檛 be interrupted.鈥�

The decision to resurrect Intervision for a new era was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin personally in . According to Russian media, about $8 million was allocated for holding the event, but observers say official assistance in the form of premises, staff, advertising, and logistical support goes far beyond that.

In a press conference promoting the upcoming competition this week, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his ministry had helped by expediting 鈥渧isas for participants, guests, and journalists, provided free with simplified procedure. We created a special customs regime to help participants.鈥� He said the goal was to expand communication and understanding among diverse peoples. 鈥淓ach government chooses how to support art according to its own principles. What we are doing is the exact opposite of attempts to use sports, art, or any other activity to achieve political goals.鈥�

Vladimir Astapkovich/Sputnik/AP

Russian pop star Yaroslav Dronov, better known as Shaman, attends the draw of the Intervision international music contest at the Russia National Centre in Moscow, Sept. 12.

A plethora of performers

Organizers insist that this contest is completely nonideological, and is wide open to performers from anywhere in the world. They point out that every inhabited continent except Australia will be represented in Saturday鈥檚 gala concert, including what they describe as 鈥渢op artists鈥� from places as diverse as Cuba, Ethiopia, Vietnam, India, Qatar, China, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.

Russia鈥檚 entry is one of the country鈥檚 top pop singers, , who is known for such patriotic ballads as 鈥淚 am Russian!鈥� However, he is slated to perform a love song, 鈥淪traight to the Heart,鈥� as his contest entry.

Brandon Howard, a fairly successful producer and songwriter from Los Angeles who goes by the stage name B. Howard, was scheduled to perform representing the United States. But that he was withdrawing from the competition due to 鈥渦nforeseen family circumstances.鈥�

He will be , an Australian-born, Greek-parentage singer-songwriter. Ms. Karagiorgos, who performs under the name Vassy, lived in Los Angeles for several years in the 2010s, and said last year that she was applying to enter Eurovision聽, per the online news site Novye Izvestia.

It鈥檚 not clear how various contestants were selected. Mr. Razygraev says some were chosen in national competitions. The Russian entry, Shaman, was picked by organizers on the basis of his standing in public opinion polls.

As for Mr. Howard, the process seems murkier. 鈥淲e contacted the U.S. State Department and asked for their advice. They declined to get involved and suggested we contact people in the U.S. music industry,鈥� says Mr. Razygraev. 鈥淲e did that, and several performers put themselves forward. We analyzed the choices, and decided B. Howard was the best fit.鈥�

Saif Al Ali, a competitor from the United Arab Emirates, says he was tapped to go to Moscow by his country鈥檚 Ministry of Culture.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to be here. Moscow is amazing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 will sing a song about peace and unity. That鈥檚 what we all want.鈥�