National stages of International Award-Competition "KARDO" new season to be held in 15 countries

In the eighth season of the International Award-Competition for the Development of Street Culture and Sports "KARDO," organisers have introduced new categories and plan to expand the geography of the event. In an interview with TV BRICS, the General Director of the award, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Public Chamber Commission on Physical Culture, Sports, and Healthy Lifestyle, Valentin Rabotenko, spoke about the project's innovations.

"In 2025, we have introduced several exciting innovations in 'KARDO.' Among them is a fully developed multilingual portal with a unified personal account system and an application submission feed. In addition, we have added a new competition, – 'Fashion' – and introduced a new category – 'Rap.' We plan to attract participants from 125 countries for the online stage, while the physical stages will be held in 15 countries and 30 regions of Russia," said Rabotenko.

He added that another innovation this season is the integration of last year's winners. All of them have been invited to become headliners of the event and representatives of their respective categories. The General Director of the award expressed confidence that these transformations will make "KARDO" a more prominent and recognisable brand, offering thousands of street culture and sports figures new opportunities.

Earlier, registration opened for participation in the eighth season of the International Award-Competition "KARDO" under the presidential platform "Russia – Land of Opportunity." Applications are accepted on the official website of the project until 8 April. The initiative aims to identify and support talent in the fields of street culture and sports. TV BRICS International Media Network has been the international media partner of the award for the second consecutive year.

From March to July 2025, 15 national stages will be held in Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Vietnam, The Gambia, Kazakhstan, China, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, the UAE, Tajikistan, Chile, and other countries. At each of these stages, the most outstanding representatives of street culture and sports will be selected to represent their countries at the Grand Final in Russia.

In the previous season, applications for the online stage were submitted by representatives from 110 countries, with 10 national stages held abroad and 25 stages conducted in Russian regions. More than 2,800 contestants took part in the Grand Final, while the total number of participants in the online stage reached 98,000. Millions of viewers followed the official broadcast of the event.

Photo: International Award-Competition "KARDO