Frequent sound: t.A.T.u. at VK Fest and Xolidayboy at the stadium

Izvestia's choice

VK Fest in St. Petersburg, 16+

Over the weekend, St. Petersburg's 300th Anniversary Park will turn into the epicenter of a big celebration: VK Fest will be held here, an event that will be remembered throughout the year. A large-scale musical line-up will be performed on five stages. The festival starts on July 4th. Guests will enjoy a powerful set from Markul, Tatiana Kurtukova will add drive, and the collaboration of Aarne, Big Baby Tape and Toxi$ will create a real sound storm. Rozalia, Lolita, paznyaks, GOODTIMES, Sirotkin, Martin, navzdohe, UBEL, Sis, Tesla Boy and UGLI will also take the stage. Each artist is a separate charge of emotions that will definitely not let you stand still.

On July 5, the degree of VK Fest will not decrease: Marie Crymbreri and Olga Buzova will rock the dance floor, the iconic t.A.T.u. will return to the atmosphere of the noughties, and Dora, NANSI & SIDOROV, HOLYFLAME, Boulevard Depo, Zventa Sventana, AK47× TGK, TRAUMA, Kryli, khmyrov and Asia will add to the program the most the hottest tracks of the season.

In addition to concerts, guests will enjoy a rich non‑musical program: meetings with popular bloggers, master classes, a virtual reality zone, quizzes, a playground for cosplayers and activities for the whole family. This format makes VK Fest a point of attraction for everyone who wants to be at the epicenter.

July 4 and 5, St. Petersburg 300th Anniversary Park

Music

Xolidayboy, 12+

Moscow will host a large—scale solo concert by Xolidayboy, one of the most prominent and discussed artists, whose tracks consistently hold leading positions in the charts. A truly charged show awaits the audience - with the drive of a rock concert, powerful energy and spectacular performance. The artist's hits — "My Hooligan", "Mania" and "Fires" — have long gone beyond the Runet: they conquer the charts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands, and the total video views for these tracks are in the tens of millions.

July 5 at VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium

What to watch

"What do we know about planet Earth?", 16+

The new large-scale series "What do we know about Planet Earth?" produced by NMG DOK on the REN TV channel blurs the boundaries between rigorous science and a spectacular blockbuster, filling the vacuum of high-quality educational content. With the help of advanced visualization based on artificial intelligence, the most complex natural processes literally come to life on the screen, turning the classic narrative with presenter Alexei Guskov into a dynamic investigation of the mysteries of our common home. Each film in the series explores one specific phenomenon from all sides — at the intersection of geography, biology, chemistry and physics, offering thoughtful viewers visual answers to the most intriguing questions. Upcoming issues will tell you how many times life has died out, how humanity can tame hurricanes, why the planet needs so much salt, and why the Earth is literally bursting at the seams.

On July 5 at 16:55 on REN TV

"Grandfather Fomich", 12+

A family comedy in which deception for the sake of family reunification leads to a series of funny and ridiculous situations. Konstantin Fomich is a cunning, but not without charm, hero who once lost the trust of his loved ones. To reconnect with his family, he decides to take an adventure: he pretends to be terminally ill in order to gather his children and grandchildren under one roof.

The image of Fomich is revealed by two charismatic actors: Nikolai Dobrynin transforms into a hero in retirement, and Nikita Kologrivy — in his youth. Gleb Kalyuzhny, who recently returned from the army, not only plays one of the key characters, but also acts as a creative producer of the film. The film was shot: Ekaterina Volkova, Andrey Merzlikin, Sergey Stepin, Artem Mikhalkov. For blogger Anya Pokrov, the role in "Dede Fomich" became her film debut.

Starting from July 2 at the box office

La Gioconda, 12+

The long-awaited premiere will take place at the Mariinsky Theatre. The opera "Gioconda" by Amilcare Ponchielli will be the culmination of the "Stars of the White Nights" festival. Under the musical direction of maestro Valery Gergiev, the troupe will present to the audience a rare masterpiece of Italian bel canto, where the dramatic story of a street singer entangled in espionage intrigues, fatal passion and jealousy unfolds against the backdrop of a magnificent carnival of the 17th century.

On July 3 and 4, on the stage of Mariinsky-2 (St. Petersburg)

XXV Anniversary Summer Ballet Seasons, 6+

The summer ballet seasons will start on the stage of the RAMT. In two months, the audience will see 75 performances from six groups from Russia and Belarus. The Chuvash State Opera and Ballet Theater will open the marathon with the performance "Swan Lake".

Other significant events include the Russian premiere of "La Bayadere" performed by the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus, the powerful "Spartak" from the Classical Ballet Theater of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev, as well as the exquisite one—act masterpieces "Scheherazade", "Chopiniana" and "Polovtsian Dances" staged by the Natalia Sats Theater. which will end the festival.

Until August 28 at RAMT

Exhibitions

"George Danelia. Paper cinema", 18+

MMOMA opens the veil of the mystery of the birth of movie masterpieces. For the first time, the graphic legacy of the great director Georgy Danelia will be presented so fully at the exhibition. Many people know him from the films "I'm walking through Moscow", "Mimino", "Don't grieve!", "Autumn Marathon", "Kin-dza-dza!". And Georgy Nikolaevich was also a graphic artist. The two floors house both student sketches of the future director, as well as mature works, sketches of characters from cult films and photographs. The exhibition recreated the master's creative laboratory, which was worked on by curators, including Kirill Danelia, the director's son.

Until September 13 at MMOMA

Lectures

"Picnic with a scientist", 12+

The Polytechnic Museum continues the cycle of scientific and educational meetings "Picnic with a scientist": on July 4, guests will have a conversation with neuroscientist Ekaterina Diffine. An employee of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University will share his knowledge about the life of birds in the metropolis. The focus is on the mysteries of avian intelligence and adaptation to the urban environment: is it true that a crow is able to remember a person's face and transmit information to its relatives, why some birds confidently explore the city, while others avoid people.

On July 4 at 18:00 in the Children's Park named after N.N. Pryamikova

Festivals

"A‑Shining", 12+

The festival audaciously weaves the history of the Yusupov estate with contemporary art. The program includes chamber concerts and film screenings. The culmination of the festival is the world premiere of the play "Radiance": the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Diana Vishneva in the image of Princess Zinaida Yusupova, music by Respighi and Ravel, Philip Chizhevsky at the conductor's desk and an open—air amphitheater where nature and architecture become part of the production.

On July 4 and 5 at the Arkhangelsk