Saudi Arabia hosting Intervision in 2026 not guaranteed — TASS source

CultureSaudi Arabia hosting Intervision in 2026 not guaranteed — TASS source Key organizational matters such as the timing, the list of participants and the program of the event are in question© Sofia Sandurskaya/TASSMOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. The organization of the international music contest "Intervision" in Saudi Arabia in 2026 is in question, and there is no guarantee that the event will take place, a TASS source in Riyadh reported. "As of the current moment, it cannot be said with certainty that Intervision will take place this year. Key organizational matters such as the timing, the list of participants and the program of the event are in question. We are closely monitoring developments," the agency's interlocutor said. At the final of the contest in 2025, it was announced that Saudi Arabia would become the host country for Intervision in 2026. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope in May that the escalation of the situation in the Middle East would not affect plans to organize the second edition of Intervision. However, Saudi authorities have not yet publicly announced the music contest and have not provided any details regarding possible dates or the list of participants. Meanwhile, officials in Riyadh noted that the Russian organizers have not yet "clearly passed the baton," without specifying what was meant by that. The Intervision Song Contest, originally launched by the International Radio and Television Organization (OIRT), which existed from 1946 to 1993, was held in the 1960s and 1980s as an alternative to the Eurovision contest organized by the European Broadcasting Union, which had split off from the OIRT. Along with socialist countries close to the Soviet Union, Intervision participants included singers from Austria, Belgium, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Finland. On February 3, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to restore the Intervision music contest, which took place in the Russian capital on September 20, 2025. TASS was the media partner of the event. Russia was represented by Yaroslav Dronov, known by his stage name Shaman, and the contest was eventually won by Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc. 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