©️Sefa Karacan
Moscow, 21 September 2025.- Vietnam wins the first modern edition of Intervision, held in Moscow on 21 September. The singer Duc Phuc conquered the jury with a song inspired by a Vietnamese poem, in a contest wanted by Vladimir Putin as an alternative to Eurovision.
Russia relaunched its Intervision musical competition on Saturday night, suspended since the fall of the USSR, bringing together nearly 20 countries at the Live Arena in Moscow. Conceived as a rival to Eurovision, judged to be a carrier of values « Deceased » by Moscow, the event highlighted traditional values and advanced technologies.
The winner is Duke Phuc, Vietnam representative and former winner of The Voice Vietnam. His interpretation, inspired by a poem about bamboo, moved spectators and international jury. Very moved, the artist thanked the audience for « each second dedicated to Intervision »which lasted almost four hours.
The evening saw artists from various backgrounds: Cuban Zulema Iglesias Salazar with a festive rumba, Qatari Dana Al Meer, Malagasy duo Denise and D-Lain, and Serbian Slobodan Trkulja. Russian singer Shaman, a patriotic figure, voluntarily withdrew his candidacy on behalf of « Russian hospitality ».
According to Vladimir Putin,« main idea » of the examination « respect traditional values and multiple cultures ». For the occasion, each delegation was presented via giant silhouettes in traditional costumes created by augmented reality.
Despite the absence of any EU country, the event brought together a wide range of participants, including BRICS and the Middle East. The 2026 edition will be held in Saudi Arabia. The organisers hope to reach up to a billion viewers, well beyond the 166 million record set by Eurovision last May.
W.A.
