VASSY pulls out of Intervision as reports cite Australian government pressure

Vietnamese performer Duc Phuc won the Intervision Song Contest 2025 successful Moscow, while US typical VASSY, of Greek heritage, pulled retired astatine the past infinitesimal owed to governmental unit from the Australian government, according to planetary quality agencies.

Neos Kosmos attempted to interaction VASSY without success.

Earlier this year, arsenic antecedently reported by Neos Kosmos, VASSY was successful the moving to correspond Greece astatine Eurovision. That did not eventuate, but the Darwin-born singer, of Greek background, had been preparing to correspond the US astatine Intervision, Russia’s alternate to Eurovision.

Reports suggest that the Greek Australian withdrew pursuing unit from Canberra, though neither she nor the Australian authorities person confirmed this.

Intervision itself is simply a revival of a short-lived contention from the 1960s and 1970s, present re-established by Russia arsenic an alternate aft its Eurovision expulsion.

VASSY – calved Vasiliki Karagiorgos – was calved successful Darwin to Greek migrant parents from Kozani and Grevena. She aboriginal acquired US citizenship during the pandemic and has agelong lived successful the United States, while maintaining adjacent ties with some Greece and Australia.

“I consciousness very Australian and very Greek, I place with some equally,” she told Neos Kosmos successful a caller interview.

VASSY holding 1 of her galore awards. Photo: Supplied

She added that Greek Australians “feel pride, arsenic there is simply a consciousness of taste pridefulness that represents the assemblage and honours the hard work of our migrant parents, who did everything to springiness us opportunities they didn’t person themselves.”

“Being a Greek woman representing the community, and being a affirmative relation exemplary for different women and the younger procreation of Greek Australians who aspire to go artists oregon prosecute their dreams successful immoderate field, is very meaningful,” she said.

“I think radical recognise and understand that. I’m not conscionable a miss who grew up successful a small town similar Darwin – I went to the different broadside of the world to pursuit my dreams, and I made it,” she told Neos Kosmos.

On her website, VASSY is described arsenic “one of the astir recognisable voices” successful physics creation music, with collaborations alongside DJs David Guetta and Tiësto. In 2023, she became the archetypal woman to win the ICON grant astatine the Electronic Dance Music Awards.