Putin paying people to attend his anti-Eurovision song contest to avoid flop

Vladimir Putin has been forced to pay people to turn up to his 'rival' anti-Western version of Eurovision over fears the event could be a historic flop.

The Russian president will revive an old Soviet-era songfest called Intervision this month after his country was booted out of theEurovision Song Contestback in 2022. Taking part in the inaugural event will be a number of authoritarian states with close ties to Russia, including China, Iran, and Belarus - as well as the United States.

In a bid to avoid any embarrassing empty seats at the concert, which will be hosted at the Live Arena in Novoivanovskoye near Moscow, Russian authorities have now put out social media adverts which promise to pay audience members to take part. Officials will carry out strict vetting of attendees to ensure political opponents and Ukrainian sympathisers are barred, anyone wearing yellow and blue clothing will be barred from entry.

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Logos and ripped jeans are also prohibited. And now, details of £56 payment promises to participate in "dance flash mobs" promoting the event have emerged on social media, showing tight stage management of the event.

Only those spending 13 hours at the flash mobs will secure audience invitations for the main event on September 20 and dress rehearsals in Moscow.

One potential audience member was told: “Those who endure at least 13 hours each day for both days will not only be paid 6,000 rubles [£56] but will also be guaranteed invitations for September 18 and 20 — but only if full passport data is provided, as access to the venue on these days will be strictly controlled.”

Putin told other leaders in China at an Asian security conference on Monday that the concert aimed to restore “traditional values” and promote “universal cultural and spiritual values”.

He claimed: “The contest has already generated keen interest.”

Russia - who are widely expected to win - will be represented by pro-war patriotic signer Shaman, real name Yaroslav Dronov, 33. His girlfriend is Kremlin stooge Yekaterina Mizulina, 40, head of Russia’s Safe Internet League.

The 20 countries taking part in Intervision 2025 are Azerbaijan, Belarus, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Colombia, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, the US, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and South Africa. Ukraine has not been invited.

The United States - whose surprise entry was confirmed in June - will be represented by Brandon Howard, 44, rumoured to be Michael Jackson’s secret lovechild.

Intervision previously ran between 1965 and 1968, and later between 1977 and 1980, as the Warsaw Pact's answer to Eurovision.

In its heyday, its bizarre communist-era voting system involved TV viewers turning their lights on or off to cast votes, with the results measured by electricity consumption.

This time, all results will be decided by an international professional jury. Unlike Eurovision, viewers at home will not be able to vote for their favourite act.

Before being booted out of the contest following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia participated in Eurovision from 1994 to 2021, winning in 2008 with Dima Bilan's ballad ‘Believe’. It hosted the contest in Moscow the following year.

Putin himself has only been seen singing to an audience once before, performing his heavily accented rendition of Fats Domino's Blueberry Hill at a live charity event in St Petersburg back in 2010.