Overview

• The relaunched contest took place on September 20 at Moscow’s Live Arena with artists from 23 countries, with no European Union participants.
• Vietnam’s Duc Phuc won after performing at a four-hour show that featured national costumes and augmented-reality staging.
• Organizers touted potential reach of up to one billion viewers, a claim contrasted by Eurovision’s verified audience of 166 million this year.
• The organizers said Australian-born singer Vassy, slated to represent the United States, withdrew at the last moment citing political pressure from Australia.
• Russian singer Shaman performed but asked the jury not to consider his entry, and organizers announced Saudi Arabia as host for the 2026 edition.