The landscape of international music competitions became notably more complex with the revival of the Intervision Song Contest in 2025, creating a unique situation for countries already participating in the established Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). The question of whether a nation can participate in both is not a matter of conflicting rules, but one of complex political and cultural alignment.
The Organizational Divide and the Geopolitical Backdrop
The short answer to the core question is: Yes, a country can participate in both. Eurovision (ESC) is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The revived Intervision Song Contest, launched in 2025, is managed by an independent Russian foundation and explicitly aims to foster cultural cooperation among nations.
Because these are separate organizations with distinct mandates, there is no formal rule in either contest prohibiting dual participation. However, the invited list for Intervision 2025 and the responses to those invitations clearly highlight the geopolitical lines being drawn.
Evidence from Intervision 2025 Participants
The Intervision Song Contest 2025 in Moscow featured a broad mix of nations, demonstrating its ambition as a global, non-European alternative. Participants included:
Regional Allies: Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Major Global Players: China, India, and South Africa.
Middle Eastern/South American Nations: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
The Case of Neighboring Eurovision Countries
The responses from other ESC-participating nations further underscore the high-stakes political calculation. Azerbaijan was initially announced as an expected participant in Intervision 2025 but ultimately refused to take part. Armenia, another active Eurovision participant, was also invited but chose not to submit an entry for the 2025 contest.
Serbia
Amidst this polarized environment, Serbia emerged as the most prominent example of an ESC-participating nation actively engaging with the new contest: Serbia sent an entry to Intervision 2025, demonstrating its willingness to engage with this new cultural platform. Simultaneously, the Serbian national broadcaster (RTS) has confirmed its continued, long-term participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, announcing plans to use its national final to select its entry for the ESC 2026 in Vienna. Serbia's choice establishes a precedent that challenges the perceived binary and frames the decision as a strategic one for maximizing cultural visibility and managing complex international relationships.
The emergence of the revived Intervision Song Contest, positioned against the established Eurovision, signals a new era for international competition. The risk of strategic recruitment of broadcasters and increased politicization is significant: the EBU may feel pressure to impose tighter restrictions or more explicit loyalty requirements on its members, while Intervision may continue to leverage cultural invitations to challenge Western-aligned organizations, although both competitions claim to be apolitical. If that were the case, the existence of two major, high-quality music stages could eventually lead to a more peaceful, alternative model of coexistence. If the contests focus purely on artistic merit, they could evolve into complementary events—one dominating the traditional European sphere, the other capturing the Eurasian and Global South market—ultimately offering more opportunities for artists worldwide without forcing a political choice. For now, every country's decision to participate in one or the other is a fascinating subject to watch.
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