Saudi Arabia to host the International Music Contest ‘Intervision’ in 2026

The next Intervision international song contest will be held in Saudi Arabia, although its exact date and venue are still being discussed, organizers told TASS against the backdrop of reports about uncertainty surrounding this year’s event.

"As was announced during the Intervision final in Moscow, Saudi Arabia will be the next host country and organizer. The Art Traditions foundation and the organizers keep working on the next contest. Its date, venue and other organizational matters are being discussed," organizers said in a statement.

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.

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.