Wild Mint festival unveils refreshed lineup and new branding
The Wild Mint festival has rolled out a refreshed lineup and a new logo, as confirmed by the event organizers to socialbites.ca. The update signals a renewed emphasis on the festival’s visual identity and its evolving musical program, inviting attendees to experience a more vibrant and cohesive brand appearance across stages and merchandise.
Reflecting on recent tradition, the 2023 edition featured a unique photo contest that drew participation from 500 festival-goers. The aim was to craft a visual emblem for the event, culminating in the creation of the amulet character known as the mermaid Minta. The contest not only highlighted the enthusiasm of attendees but also amplified the festival’s collective identity through user-generated imagery that yearned to capture the magic of Wild Mint.
Festival producer Andrei Klyukin commented on the 2023 photos, noting that the brightest, most magical participants were the festival visitors themselves. He hinted at a long-term creative project, mentioning plans to release a calendar featuring festival attendees in twelve years, a concept that underscored the deep connection between the audience and the event’s evolving mythos.
Ahead of 2024, Wild Mint expanded its musical lineup with new names and bold artistic choices. For the first time at the festival, fans could look forward to the emotive indie folk collaboration Ellie on the Poppy Field and the contemporary barding of Lampabikt, both regarded as striking discoveries within the modern indie folk scene. Organizers also highlighted a debut by Green Apelsin, a folk singer whose resonant performance last year helped spark broader interest in the festival’s artistic discovery narrative.
Additional acts for the year included a diverse slate such as Zoloto, Drummatix, Shortparis, polnalyubvi, Rita Dakota, Nike Borzov, Antokha MC, and Lomonosov’s Plan, among others. The lineup also featured SmeshBand, Goodtimes, Nesladko, and a host of other performers delivering songs inspired by the legacy of Egor Letov. The festival’s constellation of artists extended further with appearances by Starkillers, Minaeva, Tardigrade Inferno, Dragnea, Conditions, Vadyara Blues, Levandowskiy & Sche, Soltwine, Incognito, Xarista, Grizzly Suitcase, Salvador, Blizkey, Lisa Matryoshka, and Gilead, creating a richly varied musical landscape for attendees to explore.
Since 2022, the festival grounds have operated as an ongoing art camp, welcoming visitors from across the country to engage with visual installations and performance spaces. In 2024, Wild Mint was set to unfold on a legendary field in the Tula region, spanning June 14 to 16, with six stages and a program featuring more than a hundred artists across multiple genres. The festival experience was designed to immerse guests in a multi-genre atmosphere, from intimate folk sets to high-energy contemporary sounds, all within a collaborative, art-forward environment.
Meanwhile, developments surfaced regarding the Occupation festival, which faced a postponement to 2025 in the Kaluga region for security reasons. Officials indicated that the event would not relocate to a different region and had already secured a venue for next year. Coordination between regional authorities and festival organizers was reported as ongoing to ensure a smooth transition into the rescheduled date.
Earlier reports noted a dedicated effort in Yekaterinburg to secure the city’s central square for festival-related activities, illustrating the broader appetite for festival culture and community gatherings across the region. The ripple effects of these efforts reflect a growing emphasis on public spaces as essential venues for large-scale cultural events, where art, music, and local engagement converge to shape the contemporary festival experience.