VK will create a "Dream Space" with technology for the participants of the youth festival

Guests of the International Youth Festival (IFM-2026) will be able to participate in the activities of the VK interactive space and join the educational, sports, children's and music program. The "City of Youth of the World" festival guide has been launched at Mail Media Projects, and the youth studio "VZUME" will open in the space. This was announced on September 9 by the VK company's press service.

Thanks to these projects, the events and participants of the festival, which will be held from September 11 to 17 in Yekaterinburg, will be known far beyond its borders.

Mail Media Projects has prepared the "City of the World's Youth" guide, which contains exclusive materials in eight areas: science, technology, sports, education, health, finance, style and news. Zen has launched a thematic channel with news, articles, interviews and videos about MFM-2026.

At the VZUME media platform, festival speakers, bloggers and star guests will discuss careers, creativity, social projects and personal development. Among the studio participants are Maxim Dreval, CEO of the Russian Society Znanie, Egor Kvyatkovsky, CEO of Rosatom International Network, and VEB's Chief strategist.Russian Federation Mikhail Khomich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Soyuzmultfilm Juliana Slashcheva and Chairman of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment Elizaveta Belyakova.

In addition, comedians and bloggers Dmitry Pozov, Arseniy Popov, Evgeny Chebatkov, Katya Tyurina, Lisa Yushchuk and Varvara Shcherbakova will perform in the studio. Interviews will appear in the playlist of the New School of Media in VK Videos, and news and event reviews will appear in the special Mail News section.

At the festival, VK will deploy a "Dream Space", a technological environment where guests can get acquainted with the company's services. In MAX locations, you can create a digital mascot, leave a message via a chatbot and take part in the interactive "Explore the world with MAX". A street sports area and a VK Store with branded products have been prepared for the participants. In addition, the VK PRO SPORTS zone with five interactive stations and a 3x3 basketball court will be launched.

VK Music will hold a concert on the main stage of the festival. A secret guest will perform, an artist whose tracks become the main hits of the country. The presenters will be Evgeny Chebatkov and Ekaterina Tyurina. The group Gorkovskaya Metro Station from Nizhny Novgorod, as well as the sound producer RITN, will perform in the music block of the VK Records label.

For participants and volunteers, VKontakte has developed a mini-application for MFM-2026 with a schedule, map, alerts, a Lost and Found Office and a group chat. A quest from the "Other Business" is available in the service: By completing tasks, you can earn points and exchange them for prizes from VK.

VK's educational program will focus on new media and modern communication languages. There will be a workshop on content monetization with Maxim Zakharov, Marketing Director of VK AdBlogger, a session on creating a universal text with Ivan Makarov, head of strategic partnerships at Zen, and a discussion "From Blogging to Business" with Mitya Levin, Content Director at VK Video, Nikita Nichkalyuk, marketing director at VKontakte, and comedian Arseny Popov. The block will end with a meeting with Oleg Luzin, VK Music's leading product manager, about the work of the recommendation system. There will also be a session on "Digital platforms as a new medium for the dissemination of the Russian cultural code" with Dmitry Uvarov, Director of Strategic Partnership at VK.

"The International Youth Festival is designed as an open space for live communication and the exchange of ideas between young people from different countries. With the help of VK services, it will be easier for participants to find like—minded people, form interest groups, and keep in touch during and after the festival," Uvarov said.

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