What to do in Kyiv on the weekend of April 24–26: concerts, parties, festivals, and exhibitions

The last weekend of April in Kyiv is all about festivals, concerts, and events with very different vibes. The city will host Garden Beer Weekend with dozens of craft breweries, the drum-focused Drum Island Fest, the book festival “Knyzhkova Kraina,” a DOMIY concert, and a party at KURENI. We’ve rounded up the most interesting events for April 24–26 so you can quickly plan your weekend.

Garden Beer Weekend #7

This year’s Garden Beer Weekend will feature products from 19 craft breweries and cider makers. In addition to tastings, the program includes a charity streaming tasting, talks by leading brewers, a beer stand-up show in the garden, beer yoga, and the Beer Pong Championship Kyiv Open.

The music lineup includes performances by the bands Druha Rika, SKAI, Fiolet, “Anastymoza,” “Mertvyi Piven,” Motor’Rolla, and Haidaut, as well as a DJ set and stand-up featuring Danya Povar, Bohdan Pysmenko, Dasha Bilotserkovets, and Dmytro Nosov. The venue will also feature a gaming zone with retro arcade machines, a kids’ area, and relaxation zones with hammocks, deck chairs, and dedicated spots for large groups.

Admission: 600–1500 UAH

Drum Island Fest

Drum Island Fest is positioned as Ukraine’s largest drumming event — a festival centered on rhythm, live energy, and onstage interaction. Over three days, it will feature solo performances, collaborations, and live sets by Ukrainian drummers.

The program spans various styles, from rock to funk and jazz, covering a wide spectrum of contemporary drumming music. Organizers also emphasize the atmosphere of direct interaction with artists and a community of musicians, percussion fans, and anyone sensitive to rhythm.

An exhibition area will also be available on-site, showcasing drums, percussion instruments, accessories, and other industry novelties.

Admission: 300–500 UAH

DOMIY Concert

DOMIY, named the YUNA award breakthrough artist last year, invites you to a solo concert at ORIGIN STAGE. Her music is appreciated for its blend of strong emotions, contemporary pop sound, and relatable storytelling.

The program includes already recognizable songs such as “Nahadai,” “Na porozi,” and “Ne proide,” as well as new premieres.

Admission: from 790 UAH

Exhibition “Lina Kostenko in Chornobyl Expeditions”

The Ivan Honchar Museum is hosting the exhibition “Lina Kostenko in Chornobyl Expeditions,” which offers a view of Chornobyl not only as a site of a technological disaster, but also as a cultural space that requires preservation and reflection.

The project focuses on a little-known but important aspect of Lina Kostenko’s biography — her long-term participation in historical and ethnographic expeditions to the exclusion zone. At the heart of the exhibition is the human dimension of this work: an attempt to document what is disappearing and to interpret the catastrophe as a trauma for cultural memory.

The photo exhibition consists of two parts: a large visual chronicle of thirty years of field research conducted by various expeditions, and photographs showing the writer’s direct involvement in preserving the heritage of Ukrainian Polissia. The project is part of the program marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.

Admission: check with the museum

Kureni Waves Party

On the last Saturday of April, KURENI will be filled with house rhythms by DJ Mr.DiVibe, Superdj Mavr, and AlexP. Organizers describe this event as an evening focused not on scale, but on sound — the kind that holds attention and works with the distance between people.

Admission: 400 UAH

Miyazaki Day

On April 25, Kyiv will host Miyazaki Day, a festival dedicated to Japanese animation and traditional Japanese culture. The event is primarily aimed at fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s work and the aesthetics of Studio Ghibli.

The program includes themed photo zones, cosplay, lectures, and various activities related to Japanese traditions, art, and visual culture. Organizers promise a combination of the fairy-tale atmosphere familiar from Miyazaki’s animation with a deeper immersion into the symbols and customs of Japanese culture.

Admission: 350 UAH

SMYK.Spring

“SMYK.Spring” is a joint event by the SMYK music project and the volunteer organization Repair Together, combining traditional ritual songs with experimental electroacoustics. The lineup includes age without age, “Mykhailove Chudo,” Hnizdo Vyvilhy x Parking Spot, didi armor x Stodyvnytsia, and Smalta.

The venue will also feature a photo zone where visitors can take film photos for a donation, as well as an exhibition by artist Vesta Kushnir integrated into the space’s decor.

Admission: 500 UAH, 650 UAH on the day of the event

“So What? Disco 80/90/00s”

The project “TAK A SHO TY?” returns to the Palace of Sports for the third time with a large nostalgic disco. The program includes Ukrainian and international hits from the 1980s to the early 2010s — music that’s instantly recognizable from the first notes.

Organizers emphasize that this is not just a party, but also a shared space where even new guests quickly feel at home.

Admission: 550–4000 UAH; free for children under 6 without a separate seat and for combat veterans

“Knyzhkova Kraina”

VDNH will host the “Knyzhkova Kraina” book festival for the fifth time. This season’s theme is “Colorful” — organizers invite visitors to see books not only as a way to tell stories, but also as a way to change one’s perception of the world.

The program includes themed collaborations, exhibitions, installations, and photo zones. Among them are a 2D photo zone based on the book “Elmer Again,” as well as the art space “Color Your Life,” where visitors can interact with everything around them — from walls to furniture. Over four days, Valerii Kolor (ZDESROY) will create a mural live in front of visitors.

A special program for children will also be prepared, including “Family Readings” curated by Anna Zavalska. Participants will include Solomiia Vitvitska, Olha Tsybulska with her son Nestor, Olena Kravets, Rukhankomen, and other guests. The festival will also feature a book fair with new releases from 105 publishers and 17 bookstores, and overall the program includes more than 400 events — from presentations and discussions to autograph sessions and meetings with writers, artists, book bloggers, and media personalities.

Admission: free