Herbal infusion: what outdoor festivals to expect in summer
The warm season is coming, and with it the time for outdoor festivals. Endless shows and a wide variety of music, films, art objects and workshops at Russian festivals in the open-air format have long gained popularity among fans of event pilgrimage. Among the most notable events of the Central Region are "Archstoyanie", "Insomnia", "Wild Mint", "Signal", VK Fest and others. Izvestia has prepared its own calendar of the best outdoor activities.
The multi-faceted line-up of Wild Mint
On the long weekend of summer, on June 13-15, a multi-format music festival "Wild Mint" will be held in the village of Bunyrevo, Tula region. This year, the most multifaceted line-up in the history of Mint will be presented, festival producer Andrey Klyukin told Izvestia. Interesting imported bands, a wide genre palette of relevant music and incredible chronographic coverage are expected.
— In Russia, except for Wild Mint, there are no festivals yet where Baby Cute performs on one stage and Aria celebrates its fortieth anniversary on the other. This year, the legendary Russian band will participate in the event for the first time. A powerful festival set awaits everyone," promised Andrey Klyukin.
There will be seven stages in total, where, in addition to "Aria", The Hatters with Yura Muzychenko, "Bread", Manapart, Yan Dilan, Zoloto, Saluki, Polnalyubvi, Drummatix, "Sharpening" and other artists will perform. The old-school hip-hop and hardcore band "Bricks" will celebrate their 30th anniversary at Wild Mint in an expanded lineup.
The focus of this year is a tent hotel. It was moved to the quietest place on the territory, the area was leveled with tractors, planted with lawn grass and trees were planted around the perimeter.
"Signal" for active users
A major festival of art, contemporary music and architecture, Signal, will be held from August 14 to 18 in the village of Nikolo-Lenivets, Kaluga Region. More than 300 artists on nine stages and a variety of musical and entertainment activities are expected at the event. The concept of the festival is a union of music, nature and architecture. It is expected that about 20 thousand guests will visit the Signal this year, the organizers told Izvestia.
The main theme of the open-air in 2025 is Beyond the Limits, that is, going beyond the limits. The organizers of the festival invite guests to "move away from the mundane, escape from the city into an environment created by nature and man, where objective patterns cease to be applicable." Popular DJs and Middle Eastern motifs await visitors, Iranian-born Shellwell will collaborate with Timur Ptahin, Enfant, Masha Volum, Arash & Quasar, Nina Indi and Eye Que are also expected.
The central center of Kazan's musical activity, the Sol group, widely known outside Tatarstan, is participating, as is the Powerhouse showcase of the legendary place of power and cradle of independent music on Taganka.
Nastya Zakrzhevskaya, a representative of the event, said that guests will also enjoy 11 hours of electronic music from GOST Zvuk— an iconic industry label.
Cultural researchers and those who actively participate in its creation will meet in the Versailles Landscape Park to explore the topic of "Synthesis and Communication" — how shared experiences affect individuals and how communities shape the global cultural context.
Land Art in the landscape: The ArCHstation
This year, the international festival of landscape objects celebrates its 20th anniversary, which is emphasized in the modernized name — Archstoyanie. On July 25-27, Nikola-Lenivets in the Kaluga Region will turn into a white mirage city, the organizers of the holiday promise. Clear boundaries are not expected, but space for fantasy and reflection is guaranteed.
There will be an airport, a hospital, a museum, a correctional facility, a summer school, a ceremonial square and even a city council. A total of 11 art objects and spatial installations from Boris Orlov, Sergey Shekhovtsov, Mikhail Belov, Narine Tyutcheva and other authors are expected.
"Guests will literally enjoy a hot happening concert among hundreds of bonfires, where ancient Siberian music and electronic music performers will come together," said Yulia Bychkova, managing partner of the Nikola—Lenivets Art Park and producer of the Archstoyanie Festival. Another natural stage will be located among the birch forest, where the distance between the artists and the audience will be reduced as much as possible.
The program features big names, unexpected duets and spectacular comebacks. And as the sun sets, dance floors will be prepared throughout the park and special sets with popular music from well-known Moscow labels will be launched.
The program also includes the premiere of the Context Festival dance performance by choreographer Konstantin Keikhel and projects created by the most prominent representatives of the architectural world from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Tyumen and Norilsk.
"Insomnia" in the night
Insomnia is an international animated film festival, held every year in the format of a large open-air. According to tradition, it will be held from July 17 to 21 in the Yukhnovsky district of the Kaluga region, near the village of Rylyaki. The organizers told Izvestia that "Insomnia" will be decorated with several dozen art objects and installations. Among them will be the works of the winners of the Eclipse art object competition. An extensive musical program awaits the guests of Insomnia: concerts, jams and improvisation.
This year, the festival will feature a scientific "Laboratory" (lectures on artificial intelligence and much more), "Body Territory" (yoga, Qigong and body practices), "Animation Tent" (lectures and animation workshops), "Psychological Gazebo" (workshops, trainings and transformational games from a team of professional psychologists), Filmstrip and Bolshaya Detskaya Polyana.
A traditional Big Carnival is also planned at the festival ― a costumed procession with live music with drums and trumpets. On the final night, there will be a cartoon party with dancing to the best animated music videos from around the world.
— We will publish the final program of screenings and performances a couple of weeks before the festival. This is what makes Insomnia unusual," said Dmitry Kuchev, the non—profit director of the festival. — We have made the festival of independent author's animation as popular as the musical open-air, while remaining a completely non-commercial event.
Love and exploits of Ancient Russia
It is also necessary to highlight the large-scale Bylinny Bereg festival, which will be held again in the Tver Region in 2025 after a break. A large open-air is scheduled for July 18-20 on the banks of the Volga River near the village of Toporok.
The historical festival is dedicated to the ancient traditions of Ancient Russia and neighboring countries of the 9th–11th centuries, it combines historical reconstruction, music, crafts and cultural events.
The guests of the tent festival will be able to see the daily life and military customs of that era.
"It's time to return home," Anton Zheryagin, the creator and CEO of the Bylinny Bereg and Fantasy Fest festivals, told Izvestia. — The festival returns to its homeland, to the Tver region, after wandering.
An open-air concert is also waiting for guests, featuring Radio Tapok, Melnitsa, Neuromonakh Feofan, Drummatix, Otava Ye, Kalinov Bridge, Troll Gnet Yel and many others. It makes sense to visit the scientific and educational lecture hall, where blogger Dmitry Goblin Puchkov, historian Klim Zhukov, as well as archaeologists, historians, and reconstructionists will speak.
Diverse VK Fest
This summer, VK Fest will be held in five cities: for the first time in Chelyabinsk and Kazan (June 14 and 29), as well as on June 21 in Sirius, July 5-6 in St. Petersburg and July 19-20 in Moscow.
This year's line-up has already included both pop stars, alternative scene heroes, and established freshmen. Lolita, Anna Asti, Klava Coca, Olga Buzova, IOWA, Eljay, Dzhigan, Zoloto, Three Days of Rain, Husky, Room of Culture, Bearwolf, Marytale and dozens more artists will perform at the festival.
Singer Klava Coca at the VK FEST
— There will also be a surprise for the festival guests. An "unclassified" guest performer will appear on the VK Fest stage, who has not yet been named, but they know for sure that our regular audience is very much waiting for him, Zoya Novikova, head of VK Fest, told Izvestia.
Guests will meet famous influencers, popular speakers and will be able to entertain the whole family by taking part in a variety of activities — from cosplay to sports games.
Gastronomic "Feast on the Volga"
On June 23-24, the ninth city picnic "Feast on the Volga" will be held in the Strelka Recreation Park in the very center of Yaroslavl. This is an annual gastronomic festival at the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers, where guests can taste delicious food, listen to high-quality music, and join creative and sporting activities. "Feast on the Volga" is 8 hectares of entertainment for every taste, more than 150 partner sites, more than 80 gastronomic projects, two days of emotions and impressions, the organizers say.
— The main idea of the 2025 festival is "Everyone can!". We are sure that everyone can learn how to cook, dance, sing, and set records," Yulia Skorokhodova, general producer of the festival, explained to Izvestia.
The organizers expect about 150,000 guests, who will find themed venues with contests, games, new gastronomic projects, culinary and craft workshops, craft products and handmade products from Yaroslavl craftsmen, fairs of local farm products, sports, culinary and gaming championships.
Jubilee "Karelian Air"
The Air of Karelia is the only multi-day open-air rock festival in northwestern Russia. This year it will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The anniversary rally will be held on the territory of the Petrozavodsk airfield "Peski" on the shore of Lake Onega.
On the weekend of June 12-15, more than 60 participants will perform on three stages: "Alice", "Aria", "Chizh and So", "Three Days of Rain", "Niletto", "Neuromonk Feofan", "Gorshenev", "Pilot", "Northern Fleet", Trubetsky, Igor Rasteryaev, "Underwood", "Django", "Lomonosov's Plan", "Slot", "Brigade Contractor", RammProject, Nagart, "Angel of Heaven", "Different People", "Victor", "Bricks", "Troll Bends Spruce" and many others.
Rock band "Alice"
As Maxim Mazurovsky, the producer of the festival, told Izvestia, special playgrounds will be organized for the audience: a children's playground with attractions, a historical, military-patriotic alley, an alley of artisans, a podium for sedentary guests and even an official registry office. There will also be food and entertainment areas, outdoor recreation areas for families with children, and a well-maintained tent camp.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
