Where to go in summer in 2024? 10 most colorful music festivals in Russia

Music allows you to cope with worries, lift your mood, relax or, on the contrary, energize. If you have long wanted to hear your favorite artists live, music festivals are a great way to do it. And in summer, when they are held outdoors, you just can’t deny yourself this pleasure. We’ll tell you about the 10 most interesting summer music festivals of 2024.

“Capital of Sunsets”

Where: Nizhny Novgorod. Alexandrovsky Garden, Fedorovsky Embankment, Nizhne-Volzhskaya Embankment, Strelka Territory, Kremlin, Sverdlov Square and from Markin Square to Shirokaya Street.

When: June 1 – August 31.

Entrance fee: from 600 to 1600 rubles – depending on the artist. Some performances are available for free by pre-registration.

For the whole year 2024, Nizhny Novgorod has acquired the status of “Cultural Capital of Russia”, so it is worth visiting at least one relevant event. A great option would be the multi-genre music festival “Capital of Sunsets”. It takes place from June to August inclusive at the main tourist locations of the city. You just need to choose a suitable weekend and your favorite performer.

The list of artists is very versatile. Maya Balashova, Maxim Pavlov and the chamber orchestra “Soloists of Nizhny Novgorod”, Mary Gu and Emma Smith will perform on the Rakushka stage. The Hatters will perform their tracks together with the NNNGU choir, and rock fans will be delighted by the band “Three Days of Rain”. Exact concert dates and a full lineup can be found on the website. Enjoy the sunset and good music in the capital of the Volga region.

VK Fest

Where: Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Sirius (Sochi), St. Petersburg, Moscow.

When: June 1 – July 14.

Entry fee: from 900 rubles for one day of the event, the price depends not only on the city of the event, but also on the ticket level.

This festival appeared in 2015, everyone has probably heard about it. Every year VK Fest becomes bigger and bigger, covering more cities, dates and artists. Last year, the total duration of the program was 66 hours, and the total number of visitors was 200 thousand people.

It would take a lot of time to list all the star guests of the festival. Where else will you meet Nurlan Saburov, Katya Adushkina, Olga Buzova, Valya Karnaval, OG Buda, Zveri, THOMAS MRAZ, Basta and Caspian Cargo in one list? Only on the website of VK fest 2024! The festival will be held in five cities on different dates, so you will definitely be able to get at least one part of this celebration.

Moscow Jazz Festival

Where: Moscow. Hermitage Garden, Zaryadye, Museon and Sokolniki parks, the square in front of TSUM, as well as other venues.

When: June 10-16.

Entrance fee: many artists’ performances are free ofcharge. If we talk about paid concerts, the prices start from 2500 rubles.

The most popular venues in Moscow will open to delight residents and guests of the capital with jazz music and beautiful views for a week. Here you will be able to immerse yourself in this trend and feel the whole wide range of jazz genres: from classical to modern.

More than 1000 artists from Russia and abroad will come to share their music at one of the largest jazz festivals in the world. Among the headliners of 2024: Igor Butman and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, Dafer Yousef (Tunisia), Richard Bona (USA), Avishai Cohen (Israel), Konstantin Khabensky, Dmitry Malikov with the program Pianomania Jazz, Viktor Dobronravov and the ensemble “Kinoprojector”, Roberto Fonseca (Cuba), Medjikul, Jukebox trio and others. The festival program and the full list of participants are available on the website.

“Wild Mint”

Where: Tula region, Bunyrevo village.

When: June 14-16.

Entry fee: from 6500 rubles.

Cozy tent camp, film screenings, street theater performances, a huge number of lectures, creative meetings, like-minded people and, of course, music – all this is it, “Wild Mint”. The three-day open-air festival will expand your idea of modern music, give you impressions and help you relax from everyday life.

The list of artists is quite large, you can see it in full on the website. We will list just a few of them: The Hatters, Give Tank(!), polnalyubvi, Incognito, Videotape Your Parents, TMNV, ZOLOTO, PALC, Dragni, PIKCHI! and Alyona Shvets. All of them will be waiting for you just 130 km away from MKAD.

Motherland

Where: Moscow, territory of Bearing Plant on Dubrovka.

When: June 29-30.

Entrance fee: from 1900 rubles for one day and from 3900 rubles for two.

For two summer days residents and guests of the capital will be able to plunge into the world of independent music and become part of a major festival. The line-up covers the widest possible range of artists: from well-known favorites of the public to small bands and performers who are just gaining popularity.

Four stages, 28 bands, more than 4000 spectators, a storm of emotions and an incredible slam – all this is waiting for you on the territory of the Bearing Plant. Among the artists who will perform at Motherland 2024: TMNV, Videotape Your Parents, Slava KPSU, Sirotkin, Ellie in the Poppy Field, PLUUSH and others. Check out the website for more details.

STEREOLETO

Where: St. Petersburg – “Sevkabel port”, Moscow – “Hermitage” garden.

When: June 15-16 and July 6.

Entrance fee: from 3500 rubles for one day and from 6000 rubles for two days.

The already cult festival STEREOLETO was born in St. Petersburg 22 years ago. Not only famous performers, but also artists who are just gaining popularity have been enjoying their music. The festival opens new names and sounds, there is a chance to enjoy the most advanced music. Diana Arbenina and the Night Snipers, Valery Syutkin, Dora, Moya Michelle, Picnic, O! Margo, Incognito and 28 more artists will take the stage, the full list of which can be found on the website.

In 2024 STEREOLETO will be held in Moscow for the fifth time. Antoha MC with a live band, Husky, Nike Borzov and Lev Leshchenko, a legend of the Russian scene, are waiting for you in the capital. Foreign performers will also be at the festival, SHIRAN will come from Israel to share his vision of oriental pop music. More information about the capital part of the festival can be found on the website.

Kåstry fest

Where: Karelia, Ladoga Skerries National Park.

When: June 28 – July 1.

Entrance fee: from 5900 rubles for one person.

In summer in Karelia you can enjoy endless white nights, when the sun only briefly touches the horizon, enveloping landscapes with soft, twilight light. Traveling to a music festival in this area is not just a trip, it is an immersion into a world where every chord resonates in the heart and the beauty of the surrounding world enhances every note.

Five music scenes of Kestra fest will send you to the world of Russian musical underground. Here you can not only listen to your favorite artists, but also discover new names. Among the artists: FAT VIBEZ Records, RVYA, REGGAE MEDIA, Gudelnaya Artel, SILARITMA. Full line-up can be found on the festival website.

Ruskeala Symphony

Where: Karelia, Ruskeala Mountain Park.

When: July 26-27.

Entrance fee: from 2000 rubles for one day and from 5000 rubles for both days.

Karelia is a place where nature and culture merge into a single whole, creating a unique atmosphere. Ruskeala Symphony helps to find harmony and plunge into the world of instrumental and orchestral music, choral singing and folk instruments.

The Italian Quarry, Marble Canyon and the railroad platform are the three locations where the stages are located. While you admire the beautiful scenery, your ears will be delighted by the quartet of Russian folk instruments “Four Quarters”, vocal group “Quatro”, gypsy trio “Loiko”, symphonic orchestra of the Karelian Philharmonic and women’s chamber choir “Rimsky-Korsakov”. For a more detailed list of artists, visit the festival’s website.

“Afisha Picnic

Where: Luzhniki in Moscow and Yelagin Island in St. Petersburg.

When: August 3-4 in Moscow and August 10-11 in St. Petersburg.

Entrance fee: in St. Petersburg for one day you will pay 800 rubles, and for two – 1200. In Moscow, the prices are slightly higher: 1200 rubles for one day and 2000 for both.

This year will be a special year for the festival, as Picnic celebrates its 20th anniversary. Anniversaries are usually celebrated in a big way, so the program includes two cities with millions of people and dozens of artists. The main concept – a city in a city – allows you to visit everywhere and see everything without leaving the venue.

Anton Belyaev will present the audience the author’s project LAB, where he will show how already known compositions find a second life in a new sound. Musical magic will be created on stage together with the orchestra, choir and guest artists. In addition, the list of performers includes: Therr Maitz, Dolphin, Buerak, EIGHTEEN, Antoha MC, FEDUK, Boulevard Depo, Husky, NEDRY, Nike Borzov and Dose. Full line-up is available on the website.

Signal

Where: Kaluga region, Nikola-Lenivets art park.

When: August 15-19.

Entry fee: minimum ticket price 9400 rubles.

Signal is not just an electronic music festival, it is a fusion of three trends: music, architecture and art. For four summer days you will plunge into the world of creativity in the largest art park in Europe. In addition to performances of artists, there is a “laboratory of creation and research”, where anyone can realize his or her project, you just need to submit an application.

Musical guests will come from all over the world, so it will be easy to find a new sound and artist. Rotterdam industrial-techno producer WNDRLST, AOKI takamasa, postmodern cabaret from Belarus – Rap&Vogue, Agraba, Symbol, Anamorph, Natasha Bai, and that’s not all artists will perform at the festival. A total of 40 names have been revealed, and the list will continue to grow. You can check out the full lineup on the festival’s community.

Let the music into your heart and head to one or maybe more of these festivals. They may not have started yet, this summer is already sounding good.