What to do in Kyiv for the weekend of May 22–24: concerts, markets, parties, and exhibitions

If you still haven’t decided where to go on May 22–24, Kyiv has plenty to choose from. The city will host concerts by SAMCHUK, Yulia Yurina, SHUMEI, SKOFKA, and Nino Katamadze, the “IT’S MY LIFE” party, a contemporary drama festival, a market at “Kudriavka,” and several exhibition projects. We’ve gathered the weekend lineup in one place.

“Night at the Kyiv Aviation Institute”

To mark the 120th anniversary of aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, the creative collective “Night at the University” will hold a series of evening theatrical tours at the Kyiv Aviation Institute.

Participants will learn about aircraft modeling, the “Ukraviapath” society, the history of KAI, Oleg Antonov’s developments, civil aviation, and Ukrainian aviation in the second half of the 20th century.

Entry: by registration

SAMCHUK Concert

SAMCHUK will perform at Feels Garden with a large open-air concert. The artist, whose songs are already entering charts and playlists, will present new tracks live for the first time.

The program will also include “Madam,” “Someone Like You,” “Braids,” “What a Gorgeous Lady,” and other songs already familiar to listeners.

Entry: 800–1700 UAH

Yulia Yurina Concert

Yulia Yurina is holding a birthday concert with the program “Origins.” It is an evening of folk and folktronica, where Ukrainian authenticity blends with modern sound.

The program includes “Ґvara,” “Kralya,” and new songs to be performed live for the first time. The stage will also feature the multi-voice ensemble “Ґvara,” traditional Ukrainian instruments, strings, and the living energy of a ritual performance.

Entry: 900–1600 UAH

“IT’S MY LIFE. 80s–00s Disco”

“IT’S MY LIFE” is a party featuring hits from the 1980s–2000s, a light show, and a dance program. The organizers promise a nostalgic atmosphere and music you’ll want to dance to until the end of the night.

The lineup includes SANYA DYMOV, DJ DISCTRL, MC NAJA, and the Genius show ballet. A special light show will also be part of the program.

Entry: 500–1300 UAH

Contemporary Drama Festival

The sixth Contemporary Drama Festival this year is dedicated to revisiting texts that were previously presented at earlier editions. Some have already been staged in theaters, others are still awaiting directors, but all are considered relevant today by the organizers.

The festival is held in partnership with the Ivan Franko National Theatre. Theater directors and participants of the Franko-Practicum selected texts for performative readings. The program includes dramas, comedies, and a hip-hop ballad, as well as texts by Andrii Bondarenko, Yulia Honchar, Oksana Hrytsenko, Olha Matsyupa, Oleh Mykhailov, and Liuda Tymoshenko, written within the NSTD Dramaturgy Labs in 2020, 2023, and 2024.

A separate event will be a reading of Liena Lyahushonkova’s new play “Queen of Gardarike,” directed by David Petrosyan.

Entry: by registration

Exhibition “Kyiv Guides and Maps”

At the “Kudriavka Manor” museum, the exhibition “Kyiv Guides and Maps” opens, dedicated to how the city in the late 19th – early 20th century was becoming modern and required new tools for orientation.

The exhibition features old travel guides, tourist maps, and city plans of Kyiv that helped residents and visitors over a century ago find landmarks, theaters, restaurants, train stations, and practical city information. Special attention is given to publications about Kyiv’s sacred sites, including the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and ancient monasteries, which helped shape Kyiv’s image as a spiritual and cultural center.

Entry: check with organizers

Exhibition “Thickets”

In the main hall of the Imagine Point gallery, the exhibition “Thickets” by Oleksii Lytvynenko and Oleksii Malyk continues. The project brings together “two perspectives on landscape as a space of the hidden, the deep, and the nearly impassable.”

In Lytvynenko’s works, focused contemplation dominates: the artist carefully records the movement of plants and trees, approaching landscape as a practice of inner observation. Malyk’s painting has a different temperament—more restless and dynamic. His landscapes emerge from fragments of memory or the subconscious, where paint, ink, lines, and stains form their own thickets.

Entry: free

Second | Sustainable Weekend & Kilo Market

“Kudriavka” will become a venue for the third time for a market of local, vintage, and pre-loved brands. The program includes a KSENIASCHNAIDER pop-up with a new collection, the Kilo Market from the LASKA social project, upcycling brands, local projects, and private collection corners.

Participants include distinctive.clo, backroom, tsucro, sfurato, dyka kvitkarnia, tishhh, to be accessories, shall.ring, ROSE HIP, by levitska, by mikhailova, and others. There will also be a food court and DJ sets.

Entry: early bird — 200 UAH/day, at the door — 300 UAH/day

SHUMEI Concert

SHUMEI will perform at Feels Garden with a solo open-air concert. His music combines emotional piano, strong vocals, and lyrical lyrics.

That evening will feature “Anxiety,” “She Was Like That,” “Mallows,” “By the Poplar,” “Above the Clouds,” and other songs.

Entry: 800–1700 UAH

SKOFKA Concert

SKOFKA returns to “Kureniv Concert Hall” with a major performance on the slopes of the Dnipro. The program includes “Hear the Anthem,” “Cruiser,” “We Will Not Forget and We Will Not Forgive,” “On the Road,” and other tracks.

The venue will open earlier: food courts, bars, and relaxation areas will be available for guests.

Entry: from 650 UAH

Nino Katamadze Concert

On May 23, Georgian singer Nino Katamadze will perform at the October Palace. The artist is known for blending jazz, pop sound, and Georgian musical motifs that have become a recognizable part of her style.

In her compositions, Katamadze works with improvisation, emotional delivery, and multilayered arrangements where national intonations intertwine with jazz texture and light pop sensibility. Her concerts are usually built around live interaction with the audience and constant collaboration between musicians on stage.

Entry: 580–3750 UAH

Acoustic Concert “Bez Obmezhen”

The band “Bez Obmezhen” will play a special acoustic concert on the terrace of Gulliver in central Kyiv. The program includes beloved songs in a new sound: “Without Her, No Way,” “Smoke,” “The Whole World,” “Stars Lit Up,” “Free People,” and others.

Entry: 1600–5000 UAH

CultFest

At “KultMotyv,” the May CultFest will take place — an event with music, a charity bar, a market, and a food corner.

The program includes four bands, a charity bar guest set, a vegan pop-up, a tattoo corner, and a market. The format is designed as a festival day with a young Ukrainian music scene and a summer vibe.

Entry: 440 UAH

dOP Performance at KURENI

The French band dOP will become the first international artists to perform at the KURENI open-air venue in 2026.

Their live show is built on real-time interaction between voice, instruments, and the moment itself, so each performance is created on the spot. Part of the proceeds will traditionally be donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Dress code: no business or sportswear.

Entry: from 500 UAH