What to Do in Kyiv on the June 26–28 Weekend: Concerts, Markets, Sales, Festivals, and Exhibitions

On the last weekend of June, Kyiv offers a wide variety of events: from large open-air concerts and the Veselka rave to the intimate “Cult of Kyiv” festival, Vitalii Azhnov’s poetry show, and Oleksandr Dubovyk’s exhibition at the Ukrainian House. Also on the June 26–28 program are a garage sale at “Khvylovyi,” Made in Ukraine at VDNH, the “Ethnomarket” on the terrace of “Vsi. Svoi,” and the “Leopard Hunters” exhibition at Squat 17b. 

We’ve gathered the most interesting events to make planning your weekend easier. 

“Leopard Hunters” Exhibition

The “Leopard Hunters” exhibition has opened at Squat 17b, inspired by one of the venue’s symbols — a leopard that has become part of its internal mythology over the years.

The project features 20 artists working with painting, graphics, collage, embroidery, calligraphy, ceramics, digital prints, and three-dimensional objects. Among the exhibits is a papier-mâché leopard head that has become one of the exhibition’s central images.

Admission: free

Max Barskih Open Air Fest

Max Barskih is launching a new format for summer concerts — Open Air Fest. At VDNH, the artist will present a large open-air show combining a live performance with a festival atmosphere and dedicated recreation infrastructure.

The venue will feature food courts, lounge areas, and activity spaces, while DJs and special guests will perform throughout the day. The main event will be Max Barskih’s concert, featuring new arrangements of well-known songs and a presentation of the track “Kolye” (“Necklace”).

Admission: 1490–7590 UAH

Make Garage Sale Great Again

A garage sale will once again take place in the courtyard of “Khvylovyi,” where visitors can find new and second-hand items from event participants.

Items for sale will include clothing, vinyl records, ceramics, jewelry, musical instruments, books, pet products, and other goods. Acoustic performances by artists from the kontrabass label will also take place throughout the day.

Admission: free donation

Lely45 Concert

Lely45 will open the new “De, Shcho, Inshe” space with a sunset open-air concert. The singer, who works at the intersection of indie pop and indie rock, will give her first performance of the year.

The program includes “Visim,” “Svit Mene Lovyv,” “Moya Dusha,” “Sprobuy Kupy Mene,” “Vsi Divchata Khoroshi,” “Davay Dyvys,” “Khto Ty, Divchynko?” and other songs.

Admission: 590 UAH

Made in Ukraine Festival

The Made in Ukraine festival will take place at VDNH, bringing together Ukrainian producers of clothing, jewelry, home goods, books, gastronomy products, and traditional crafts.

Charitable foundations, food zones, workshops, and tasting spaces will also be operating.

Admission: free

Veselka Rave

The first summer Veselka of the year will take place in a large pavilion at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. The queer rave will feature two dance floors, a market, a tattoo zone, a gaming space, a food court, and other locations.

The event’s headliner will be Daria Kolosova, one of the most renowned Ukrainian artists on the international electronic music scene. Belgian producer Matthias Geerts, Ana B, Deyo, Stöpa, and Vladyslav Putistin will also perform. Organizers describe the event as a space of music, freedom, community, and queer visibility.

Admission: 1300–2000 UAH

Ethnomarket

The “Ethnomarket” will take place on the terrace of “Vsi. Svoi” — an event dedicated to Ukrainian crafts, traditional clothing, and contemporary brands working with cultural heritage.

More than 150 artisans, craftspeople, brands, and craft manufacturers will participate. The market will feature embroidered shirts and other clothing, ceramic tableware, wooden kitchen utensils, accessories, decor made from natural materials, and ethnic-style jewelry.

Admission: free.

Epolets Concert

The band Epolets will perform an open-air summer concert at Feels Garden. The program includes “Melodiya,” “Zradzhuy,” “Kazka,” “Panichna Ahresiya,” and other compositions.

The musicians, led by Pavlo Varenytsia, promise an evening of live rock, guitar-driven sound, and communal singing under the open sky.

Admission: 800–1700 UAH

“Cult of Kyiv” Festival

The Malyi Theatre will host the third “Cult of Kyiv” local arts festival, dedicated to exploring the city, its communities, and cultural connections. This year’s program will include artists not only from Kyiv but also from Kharkiv, Lviv, and Zaporizhzhia.

The program features performances by the Malyi Theatre, Lviv’s Lava Theatre, and the Kharkiv Puppet Theatre, short film screenings, lectures on art, literature, and music, a local brands fair, excursions, performances, and workshops. The festival will close with performances by Lady Aphina and Blooms Corda.

Admission: 200–1500 UAH

Vitalii Azhnov’s Poetry Show “Alone”

Franko Theatre actor Vitalii Azhnov will present his poetic-theatrical show “Alone” at Origin Stage. The production combines poetry, prose, contemporary jazz music, and visual imagery.

The project is based on texts by Ukrainian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries, from Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky to Bohdan-Ihor Antonych. The protagonist of the performance goes through a journey of love, loss, and self-discovery.

Admission: 790–2600 UAH

Opening of the Exhibition “Labyrinths of Meaning. Oleksandr Dubovyk”

The Ukrainian House is opening the exhibition “Labyrinths of Meaning. Oleksandr Dubovyk” — the largest project dedicated to the work of one of Ukraine’s key Sixtiers artists.

The exhibition will bring together more than 250 works from museum and private collections: paintings, graphics, sketches for monumental works, gouache series, early works, and new canvases created during the full-scale war.

Admission: free for the opening, then 180 UAH

ZGARDA Tribal Festival Concert

The House of Actors will host the final concert of the ZGARDA tribal festival — a dance program featuring groups and solo performers from different cities of Ukraine.

Tribal combines ethnic motifs, contemporary choreography, improvisation, and image-based stage performance. The style reflects influences from the cultures of the East, India, North Africa, and flamenco, while the dance itself revolves around strength, plasticity, rhythm, and self-expression.

The program includes atmospheric performances, vibrant costumes, music with ethnic influences, and acts that each have their own story and character. The format is suitable both for those already familiar with tribal and for those seeing the style on stage for the first time.

Admission: 400 UAH

“An Evening on Ivan Kupala” Retrospective

The Zhovten Cinema will screen Yurii Illienko’s 1968 film “An Evening on Ivan Kupala.” The special screening will take place as part of the cinema’s 95th anniversary program.

The film, based on the works of Mykola Hohol (Nikolai Gogol), is considered one of the first Ukrainian folk horror films. At the center of the story is Petro, a farmhand who falls in love with his master’s daughter but cannot be with her because of social inequality. In despair, he meets Basavriuk, believed to be the devil, and agrees to a terrible bargain.

“An Evening on Ivan Kupala” was Illienko’s second directorial work and was subjected to Soviet censorship: the film was banned from screening, as was his previous film “A Well for the Thirsty.” Before the screening, the film will be introduced by Stanislav Bytiutskyi — a director, film scholar, and head of the scientific and programming department of the Dovzhenko Centre.

Admission: check with the cinema