Russian singer Yaroslav Dronov, widely known by his stage name SHAMAN, has announced plans to watch the upcoming Intervision Song Contest in Saud Arabia online.
SHAMAN, who represented Russia at Interivsion in Moscow in 2025, shared his plans in a statement to TASS.
"Absolutely [I will]! We'll see what happens next. As far as I know, this year's contest will be held in Saudi Arabia. Let’s see how it goes over there. Naturally, I will be following it," the artist said.
He clarified that he would watch the event online rather than attending in person. "Because I have been advised not to leave the borders of Russia. Although, in Russia, borders do not exist," he added.
The announcement effectively puts an end to months of speculation regarding the singer's potential role in the 2026 event. While many fans and industry observers had expected SHAMAN to appear on the Riyadh stage (either as a returning contestant or a headline interval act), his confirmation of travel limitations formally debunks these theories. Despite his central role in the contest's 2025 Moscow revival, SHAMAN will not be part of the live production in Saudi Arabia.
Written by Manios Themis
Intervision Song Contest specialist. Combines a Computer Science background with exhaustive knowledge of every edition (1965 Golden Clef, 1977–1980 Sopot era, 2025 revival, and Saudi Arabia 2026). Author and curator of the most complete independent Intervision archive online.
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