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Saudi Arabia to host 2026 Intervision song contest, dates yet to be announced — diplomat

Alexander Pankin said that organizational issues are being worked out

ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Saudi Arabia is set to host the Intervision international song contest this year, but the dates of the event are still to be decided, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Intervision is planned to be organized, but not in Moscow and not in Russia," Pankin said while speaking on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Asked about the possible dates set for the song contest, the diplomat replied that "our colleagues from Saudi Arabia are working on it, they have taken over the baton."

"Organizational issues are being worked out," he added.

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.

The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 3-6 and is the 29th edition. This year, the event is held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future." Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.

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