What to Do in Kyiv on the Weekend of June 19–21: Concerts, Festivals, Kupala Celebration, and Yoga Day

This weekend, Kyiv fully shifts into summer mode: open-air concerts, Kupala celebrations, Yoga Day, chamber music at St. Andrew’s Church, festivals, and exhibitions. The June 19–21 program includes performances by Tember Blanche, O.Torvald, Cheev, and Bah.Roma, Squat 17b’s birthday celebration, sets by Arnaud Rebotini & Votuma at Keller, the “Zahrava” festival, and many other exciting events.

Tember Blanche Concert

The indie-pop duo Tember Blanche will perform on the slopes overlooking the Dnipro River at “Kureni Concertni.” The project of vocalist and songwriter Sasha Hanapolska and guitarist and sound producer Vlad Lahoda is known for songs such as “Vechornytsi,” “About Kyiv,” and “Dura,” as well as for their principle of doing everything independently—from writing music to creating music videos.

The concert program will feature compositions from different periods of the duo’s career, ranging from audience favorites to new material. The open-air evening promises to combine an intimate atmosphere, indie-pop sound, and the lyrics that have earned Tember Blanche one of the most devoted audiences on the contemporary Ukrainian music scene.

Admission: UAH 650–1000

“Insects” Musical

The National Operetta of Ukraine will host the premiere of the phantasmagorical musical “Insects,” based on the play “The Insect Play” by Czech writers Karel and Josef Čapek. The production team includes director Oksana Taranenko, composer Ivan Nebesnyi, and librettist Mykola Brovchenko.

The main character, the poet Felix, finds himself in a bizarre world inhabited by people in the guise of insects. Through this fantastical story, the creators explore themes of dehumanization, moral choice, and preserving humanity within a distorted reality.

Admission: UAH 150–1200

11 Years of Squat 17b

The cultural space Squat 17b will celebrate its eleventh anniversary with a two-day program combined with the summer solstice celebration and a charity fundraiser for the volunteer headquarters “Zgraia” (“The Pack”).

Saturday’s program includes donation-based portraits by photographer Nastia Telikova, a performance by the dark-folk fusion choir HORROR XOP under the direction of Antonina Vynnyk, and special guests. On Sunday, visitors can take part in a quiz about the history of Squat 17b, followed by performances by Moann, saxophonist Andrii Barmalii, and Renie Cares. 

The celebration will be hosted by musician and founder of the “RUKH” festival, Zakhar Davydenko. Throughout the event, photographer Oli Zitch will capture guests in the most unexpected moments.

Admission: donation-based

Arnaud Rebotini & Votuma

French composer and producer Arnaud Rebotini will perform at Keller club. He is the founder of the Black Strobe Records label and the creator of soundtracks and remixes for Depeche Mode and Rammstein. His music blends elements of industrial, post-punk, and techno.

In Kyiv, Rebotini will present a joint program with DJ and producer Tamara Votuma Umanska. The event is part of the tenth-anniversary celebration of the Aplay collective and one of only three special performances between Odesa and Lviv.

Admission: UAH 700

O.Torvald Concert

O.Torvald will give their only Kyiv concert of the summer at Feels Garden. Led by Yevhen Halych, the band will perform their best-known songs, including “Our People Are Everywhere,” “Kyiv Day and Night,” and “Lanterns.”

The musicians promise a large-scale open-air solo performance built around the energy of live rock music and songs about freedom, life, and resilience.

Admission: UAH 800–1700

Ivan Kupala Celebration at the Open-Air Museum

The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine will host an Ivan Kupala celebration featuring reenactments of traditional rituals, folk singing, dancing, and workshops.

Guests will be able to join wreath-making activities, visit a folk crafts fair, and participate in traditional games and entertainment. The program also includes a performance by KHAYAT, who will present acoustic versions of his songs.

Admission: UAH 200

Cheev Concert

Cheev will perform an open-air solo concert at Feels Garden. The Ukrainian artist, known for songs such as “Harno Tak,” “Wait,” “Lotto,” “Protect,” and “You Appear in My Dreams,” will present a program featuring both familiar tracks and new works.

His music combines indie and alternative sounds with emotional lyrics and a distinctive vocal style that has made Cheev one of the most prominent Ukrainian performers of recent years.

Admission: UAH 800–1700

Bah.Roma Concert

Bah.Roma, the solo project of musician and songwriter Roman Bakharev, will perform on the terrace of D12. The program will include both early compositions and material from recent years.

The concert will feature “At the Depth,” “Poka-Pora,” “April,” “Goodbye—It’s Time,” “Weightless,” and “Kotyky” (“Kittens”), a song that has gained particular popularity on social media.

Admission: UAH 590–1290

“Letters with Love” Concert

St. Andrew’s Church will host the program “Letters with Love,” dedicated to Ukrainian chamber music. The repertoire includes romances, poems, and rhapsodies united by themes of love, nature, and devotion to one’s homeland.

The concert will feature works by Mykola Lysenko, Viktor Kosenko, Levko Revutskyi, Myroslav Skoryk, and Valentyn Sylvestrov. The program will be performed by cellist Ivan Kucher, clarinetist Oleh Moroz, pianist Tetiana Voitek, and mezzo-soprano Vladyslava Pryimachuk.

Admission: UAH 500

“Zahrava” Festival

The “Zahrava” festival will take place at KultMotyv, focusing on contemporary reinterpretations of Ukrainian culture. The event will bring together local brands, craft projects, music, and a community of people working with tradition in a modern context.

The program includes a marketplace featuring products by Ukrainian artisans, musical performances offering fresh interpretations of ethnic motifs, and a space for networking and socializing.

Admission: from UAH 1200

“Warriors of Light. Through the Ages” Exhibition

The exhibition “Warriors of Light. Through the Ages” has opened at the Living Room art space, bringing together personal projects by Valerii Franchuk and Nataliia Duka.

The exhibition explores the continuity of Ukrainian resistance through historical imagery and contemporary portraits of people experiencing war today. Franchuk’s works address historical figures and the theme of the “genetic code of freedom,” while Nataliia Duka focuses on human emotions and portraits of contemporaries.

Admission: free

“Childhood Illuminated by the Sun” Exhibition

The Pavlo Tychyna Apartment Museum continues to host the collection exhibition “Childhood Illuminated by the Sun,” dedicated to children’s themes in the poet’s work.

The exhibition features lifetime editions of Tychyna’s works for children, which introduced young readers to nature and taught them to notice beauty in everyday life.

Admission: UAH 100

Yoga Day

Hydropark will host celebrations of International Yoga Day. The event has been organized for many years by Kyiv studios and communities, and this year the festivities will last for two full days.

The program includes group practices, meditation sessions, and other activities for participants of all experience levels. The festival venue will be the Skvo Space location.

Admission: registration required

“A Suburb in the City Center” Exhibition

The “Estate on Kudriavets” Museum is hosting the exhibition “A Suburb in the City Center,” dedicated to Kudriavets, one of Kyiv’s oldest historic districts. Today it is part of the city center, but historically Kudriavets developed as a suburb beyond the ancient fortifications.

The exhibition tells the story of the area’s development from the times of Kyivan Rus, when it was home to Kopyriv Kinets with princely estates, monasteries, craftsmen’s homesteads, and trade routes. Special attention is paid to Kudriavets’ flourishing at the end of the 19th century, when residential buildings, educational institutions, churches, and public structures were actively constructed there.

The project also highlights Kudriavets’ role in the events of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, when the barracks of the Sich Riflemen of the Ukrainian People’s Republic Army were located there.

Admission: UAH 60–120.