Russia's invasion from February 2022 continues, but so does live music in Ukraine. The country has become renowned not only for maintaining a functioning railway system during wartime, but also for hosting full-scale music festivals despite the constant threat of air raids and bombings.
One person who has played a key role in ensuring that Ukrainian live music continues to thrive is today’s guest, Vlad Yaremchuk, Programming Director of Atlas Festival. He and his team have not only raised record-breaking sums for their country but also hosted a festival with 25,000 attendees in Kyiv despite the ongoing Russian aggression.
In this podcast, which was interrupted by one of many air raid warnings in Kyiv, he tells us how this feat was possible.
Here are all the resources we discussed in this episode:
Music Saves
Ukraine: https://musicsavesua.com/
Music Saves Ukraine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicsavesukraine/
Music Ambassadors Tour Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGgIXVne2ic
Festivals For Ukraine Toolkit: https://yourope.org/project/festivals-for-ukraine-toolkit/
DakhaBrakha live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8muYcYrJeA&t=1602s&pp=ygUQZGFraGFicmFraGEgbGl2ZQ%3D%3D