With artists from 23 countries, hopes for a billion-plus viewers and a generous sprinkle of glitter, Russia hosts Intervision on Saturday, a song contest championed by Moscow as a rival to Eurovision. The revived Intervision is now more than ever a vehicle for promoting geopolitical interests and Russia’s cultural soft power. Despite being rebooted as a rival, Russian officials have touted Intervision as an antidote to Eurovision, having spent years railing against its pomp. Since being excluded from Eurovision, Russia has been seeking “platforms and channels of influence”. It “contributes to the reorientation of Russian influence from the West to the East, Eurasia and the Global South,” he added.