Ural Music Night stands as Russia’s largest multi-format festival, lighting up Yekaterinburg on June 28 with the participation of more than 3,000 musicians. This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary, a milestone celebrated across the city with a shared passion for live sound and diverse genres.
Since its debut in 2015, Ural Music Night has drawn crowds and artists from across Russia and beyond. The early editions welcomed around 70,000 spectators and 1,000 musicians spread across 43 venues, creating an intimate yet electric festival mood. By 2023, attendance soared to more than 370,000, with over three thousand musicians from 13 countries performing across 102 stages. The scale and reach of the event have grown in tandem with the city’s pride in showcasing contemporary music in all its forms.
This year, Ekaterinburg expands the festival footprint even further. The city will host performances in more than 100 venues, ranging from parks and squares to bars, restaurants, theatres, and museums. The aim is simple: bring music into everyday spaces and let residents and visitors experience a wide array of sounds without barriers.
Within the TV club, a distinctive stage format unique to Ural Music Night will unfold. The venue’s headliners come from St. Petersburg, delivering a collaborative performance that highlights the strength of cross-city partnerships. The lineup includes notable acts from the St. Petersburg scene, including groups known for their dynamic live shows, providing a bold contrast to the festival’s other stages.
At Plotinka near the Time Capsule, the Cream Soda band is set to perform. Nearby the Design Development Center, the Discoland stage will host a collection of highlights from past years, featuring prominent performers who have helped shape the festival’s enduring appeal. The program includes a special performance by Sergei Serkov, formerly a member of Tender May, and Alexander Drozdov, formerly associated with a legendary ensemble, presenting the Blue Frost program to festivalgoers who crave archival energy along with fresh sounds.
The ESTORY food market continues to blend culinary creativity with musical talent, spotlighting younger artists such as Antokha MS and the Sirotkin group. For rock and metal fans, Ekaterinburg Arena’s Sector B becomes a hub where emerging acts and established voices converge. The scene will include Sergei Bobunets, the frontman of Semantic Hallucinations, along with bands like Wildways and Mytishchi v Fire, delivering a mix that satisfies heavy music appetites while inviting broader audiences to explore heavier genres in a festival setting.
As is tradition, the festival reaches its crescendo at dawn with the Dawn event. Thousands of spectators gather in October Square, where reflective mirrors capture the first light of day as performers coax the sun with music. The Therr Maitz ensemble joins the BACH chamber orchestra for a rendition of The night will pass, a clear morning will come, creating a moment that lingers long after the last note fades.
Music Night is, at its core, a celebration of the city and the country’s creative energy. It is an event people count down to, plot on their calendars, and revisit year after year. The festival embodies a sense of anticipation, where audiences imagine the next season even as they revel in the current one. The festival’s leadership emphasizes that the night’s end is merely a prelude to future editions, with clear mornings signaling new beginnings and more music to come, a sentiment echoed by cultural leaders who celebrate the event’s role in enriching urban life.
Remaining artists are announced in due course, and the public can enjoy performances free of charge across the festival’s many venues. In recent years, even with restrictions, Music Night drew hundreds of thousands of attendees, highlighting its importance as a cultural beacon and a platform for both emerging and established talent. The festival continues to evolve, inviting fresh acts while honoring the roots that have defined its character since 2015.
Ultimately, Ural Music Night serves as a vibrant demonstration of how a city can welcome diverse musical voices, foster collaboration across regions, and create shared experiences that resonate beyond the concert hall. Each year brings new collaborations, unexpected pairings, and moments that remind attendees why live music remains a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of Yekaterinburg and beyond.