On the afternoon of September 29, singer Duc Phuc met the press in Ho Chi Minh City after his historic victory at Intervision 2025. The event was attended by stage director Duong Mai Viet Anh and producer Duong K.

A staggering cost of nearly $80,000

Duc Phuc’s success came from an ambitious artistic strategy: 12 highlights in 3 minutes, meaning every 15–20 seconds the emotions, music, staging, and performance changed. While most songs have 3–4 climaxes, Phu Dong Thien Vuong was designed to keep audiences on an emotional rollercoaster.

Producer Duong K carefully integrated traditional instruments like the dan bau, flute, and drums into a 100% Vietnamese yet contemporary arrangement. Director Viet Anh calculated effects to the second, such as triggering a dramatic lift at minute 1, second 32, impressing the Russian organizers.

Five days before the competition, the stage effect budget shocked the team: over VND 2 billion (USD 83,000). After negotiations, they reduced it to VND 400–500 million (USD 16,600–20,800) by only using fire, the second most expensive effect after fireworks.

The total cost reached nearly VND 2 billion (USD 80,000), including effects, expenses for 16–17 crew members, 15–20 pieces of luggage with props, backdrops, costumes, visuals, and more.

Intervision’s strict rules limited performances to 2–3 minutes, six people on stage, and only 2–3 official meetings with organizers. Vietnam, however, held 7–8 meetings, none finishing on time.

A major challenge came when organizers banned countries from creating their own visuals. Viet Anh had to persuade them to allow self-made visuals, as the Russian team could not fully understand Vietnam’s symbolic imagery.

Duc Phuc revealed that an error initially placed Vietnam in 8th position. When discovered, the Russian head judge admitted the mistake and confirmed Vietnam was first.

Standing firm amid controversies – Russian organizers apologized

To promote cultural exchange, Duc Phuc prepared 23 conical hats printed with images of artists, Vietnam’s flag, and their national flags, gifting them to all 23 participating countries. The team also distributed 50 more hats and flags to highlight Vietnamese hospitality.

After the broadcast, thousands of international viewers on YouTube asked about the cultural symbolism. Producer Duong K personally replied to comments, explaining the legend of Saint Giong and the meaning of bamboo in Vietnamese culture.

When asked about negative international reports linking him to gender issues, Duc Phuc shared that Russian organizers proactively contacted him, apologized, and promised to handle the misinformation. They encouraged him to focus on his performance and victory.

Duc Phuc stayed in Russia for four more days after the final to discuss projects, including a potential concert tour across Russian cities. He confirmed he would bring his Vietnamese crew to ensure a complete artistic production.

He also announced plans to release his first album in 2026, marking 10 years in music, featuring groundbreaking compositions by songwriter Khac Hung.

Mentorship from My Tam and artistic responsibility

At the press event, Duc Phuc expressed gratitude to singer My Tam and musician Ho Hoai Anh, saying without them he wouldn’t be where he is today. He described My Tam as his strongest role model, influencing everything from stage presence to social behavior and artistic inspiration.

Regarding career pressure after his victory, Duc Phuc admitted his status has risen, requiring careful planning for future steps. While acknowledging higher performance fees, he emphasized that true value comes from fans’ love and lasting support.

He also views being a role model as a responsibility for influential artists, not only in music but also in lifestyle and positive inspiration, especially for the younger generation.

A documentary by director Kawaii Tuan Anh is being produced, chronicling the Intervision journey from preparation to triumph, showing audiences the challenges and how the Vietnamese team overcame them.

Huy Minh