Events 2020
Every day Russia holds many interesting events such as concerts, festivals, theme parties, championships and competitions. See information on the key cultural, sport and student events of the year.
2020 Cultural Events
| Name | About the festival | Location | Time |
|
Sergey Kuryokhin International Festival (SKIF) |
The festival highlights new names in modern and progressive music of different countries.
|
St Petersburg |
May |
|
Usadba Jazz Festival |
An annual international jazz festival. |
Moscow region, Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum |
30-31 May |
|
“Wild Mint” |
International festival Lively music, street theatres, fire shows and open air night screenings for guests. |
Tula region, Bunyrevo village
|
19-21 June |
|
“Nashestviye” Rock Festival |
The largest Russian rock festival. |
Tver region, Zavidovo |
24-26 July |
|
“Dobrofest” Festival |
A large rock, alternative, punk and hip hop music festival. |
Yaroslavl
|
9-12 July |
|
Park Live Festival |
International music festival. |
Moscow |
17-19 July |
|
“Afisha Picnic” Festival |
An annual music festival held in Moscow’s Kolomenskoye Park every summer.
|
Moscow |
August |
|
V-ROX Festival |
International music festival. |
Vladivostok |
August |
|
Kaliningrad in Rock Festival |
Rock festival in western Russia.
|
Kaliningrad |
August |
|
“New Wave” |
International contest between young performers of popular music. |
Sochi |
24-29 August |
Music
Sergey Kuryokhin International Festival (SKIF)
The festival highlights new names in modern and progressive music of different countries.
It is not limited to particular music styles or genres and embraces jazz, folk, rock, metal, electronic music etc.
St Petersburg
May
Usadba Jazz Festival
An annual international jazz festival.
Moscow region, Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum.
30-31 May
“Wild Mint”
International festival Lively music, street theatres, fire shows and open air night screenings for guests.
Tula region, Bunyrevo village
19-21 June
“Nashestviye” Rock Festival
The largest Russian rock festival.
Tver region, Zavidovo
24-26 July
“Dobrofest” Festival
A large rock, alternative, punk and hip hop music festival.
Yaroslavl
Levtsovo airfield
9-12 July
Park Live Festival
International music festival.
Moscow
17-19 July
“Afisha Picnic” Festival
An annual music festival held in Moscow’s Kolomenskoye Park every summer.
Moscow
August
V-ROX Festival
International music festival.
Vladivostok
August
Kaliningrad in Rock Festival
Rock festival in western Russia.
Kaliningrad
August
“New Wave”
International contest between young performers of popular music.
Sochi
24-29 August
|
Moscow International Film Festival |
The world’s second largest film festival after the Venice Festival. Russian and international film stars are among the participants. Moscow cinema houses run premiers during the festival.
|
Moscow |
April |
|
“Kinotavr” Festival |
A key Russian film festival involving Russian and international film makers. |
Sochi |
7-14 June |
|
“Pacific Meridians” |
International Film Festival of the Asian-Pacific region. It is an annual event bringing together representatives of some 60 countries.
|
Vladivostok |
September |
Cinema
Moscow International Film Festival
The world’s second largest film festival after the Venice Festival. Russian and international film stars are among the participants. Moscow cinema houses run premiers during the festival.
Moscow
April
“Kinotavr” Festival
A key Russian film festival involving Russian and international film makers.
Sochi
7-14 June
“Pacific Meridians”
International Film Festival of the Asian-Pacific region. It is an annual event bringing together representatives of some 60 countries.
Vladivostok
September
|
“Golden Mask” all-Russia Theatre Festival |
“Golden Mask” is also an annual national theatre award presented to best performances of all theatre art genres - dramas, operas, ballets, operettas, musicals and puppet theatres.
|
Moscow |
January – April |
|
International Street Theatre Festival in Arkhangelsk |
Theatre groups from across the world present open air performances at several venues in the city.
|
Arkhangelsk |
June |
Theatre
“Golden Mask” all-Russia Theatre Festival
“Golden Mask” is also an annual national theatre award presented to best performances of all theatre art genres - dramas, operas, ballets, operettas, musicals and puppet theatres.
On the festival dates, representatives of the best Russian theatre groups come to the Russian capital.
Moscow
January – April
International Street Theatre Festival in Arkhangelsk
Theatre groups from across the world present open air performances at several venues in the city.
The festival will open with a carnival procession along the Severnaya Dvina Embankment.
Arkhangelsk
June
|
Arkhstoyaniye |
Europe and Russia’s festival of land art and landscape art objects. |
Nikola-Lenivets Park (Kaluga region) |
26-28 June |
|
Circle of Light |
International festival of lighting designers and 2D and 3D graphics professionals who run light shows on frontages of well-known buildings.
|
Moscow |
September |
|
“Scarlet Sails” |
Russian school leavers festival. The main character is a ship with scarlet sails gliding along the Neva river with music playing and fireworks ablaze. |
St Petersburg |
Late June |
Other festivals
Arkhstoyaniye
Europe and Russia’s festival of land art and landscape art objects.
Nikola-Lenivets Park (Kaluga region)
26-28 June
Circle of Light
International festival of lighting designers and 2D and 3D graphics professionals who run light shows on frontages of well-known buildings.
Moscow
September
“Scarlet Sails”
Russian school leavers festival. The main character is a ship with scarlet sails gliding along the Neva river with music playing and fireworks ablaze.
St Petersburg
Late June
2020 Student Events
|
KVN Premier League |
Russian students’ top stand-up comedy shows at the annual competition.
|
KVN shows run in Moscow from February to October; the finals take place in December |
|
“Student Spring” |
An all-Russian student performing arts contest featuring hundreds of university and 11 regional festivals from March till May.
|
Rostov-on-Don (university student finals)
Irkutsk (Vocational school/college student finals) Kazan («CIS Student Spring»). May |
|
Singing KiViN |
An annual music festival of KVN (Russian humour TV show) teams which only compete at a music contest.
|
Svetlogorsk, July
|
KVN Premier League
Russian students’ top stand-up comedy shows at the annual competition.
The Premier League brings together the best KVN teams. The winner becomes the KVN Club champion. KNV games are shown on Russian television.
KVN shows run in Moscow from February to October; the finals take place in December
“Student Spring”
An all-Russian student performing arts contest featuring hundreds of university and 11 regional festivals from March till May.
The participants are Russian universities students who show their talents in singing, dancing, theatre art and other genres.
Rostov-on-Don (university student finals)
Irkutsk (Vocational school/college student finals)
Kazan («CIS Student Spring»).
May
Singing KiViN
An annual music festival of KVN (Russian humour TV show) teams which only compete at a music contest.
Svetlogorsk, July
Sport Events 2020
|
World Toboggan Championship
|
Sochi |
14-16 February |
|
Ball Hockey World Championship |
Irkutsk |
28 March – 5 April
|
|
UEFA Euro 2020 |
St Petersburg |
13 June – 13 July |
|
World Chess Olympiad |
Moscow |
August
|
World Toboggan Championship
Sochi
14-16 February
Ball Hockey World Championship
Irkutsk
28 March – 5 April
UEFA Euro 2020
St Petersburg
13 June – 13 July
World Chess Olympiad
Moscow
August
Important dates
Russia commemorates important dates every year, such as the birthdates of writers, artists, poets and other culture figures, as well as the dates marking the birth of classical masterpieces. As a rule, premiers, exhibitions and festivals are part of celebrations. Following are the key dates Russia will mark in 2020:
- 15 January – 170th birthdate of outstanding Russian mathematician Sofya Kovalevskaya.
- 15 January – 225th birthdate of Russian writer and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov, author of the Woe from Wit comedy in verse.
- 29 January – 160th birthdate of Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
- 10 February – 130th birthdate of Russian wrtier Boris Pasternak, a Nobel Prize laureate, author of the Doctor Zhivago novel.
- 18 February – 240th birthdate of Russian painter Alexei Venetsianov.
- 2 March – 220th birthdate of Russian poet Yevgeny Baratynsky, a representative of the Golden Age of the Russian poetry.
- 22 April – 150th birthdate of Vladimir Lenin, a Russian revolutionary.
- 7 May – 180th birthdate of famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, author of the Swan Lake and Nutcracker ballets, the Seasons piano cycle etc.
- 24 May – 80th birthdate of Russian poet Iosif Brodsky, a winner of the Nobel Prize in literature.
- 24 May – 115th birthdate of Mikhail Sholokhov, a Russian writer and Nobel Prize laureate.
- 21 June – 110th birthdate of Russian poet Alexander Tvardovsky, author of the Great Patriotirc War “Vasily Terkin” poem.
- 7 September – 170th birthdate of Russian writer Alexander Kuprin
- 22 September – 120th birthdate of Russian linguist Sergei Ozhegov, author of Dictionary of the Russian Language and co-author of the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language ed. by Ushakov.
- 3 October – 125th birthdate of Russian lyric poet Sergei Yesenin.
- 22 October – 150th birthdate of Russian writer Ivan Bunin, a Nobel Prize winner.
- 20 November – 95th birthdate of Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya.
- 25 November – 210th birthdate of famous Russian surgeon and scientist Nikolay Pirogov.
- 28 November – 140th birthdate of Alexander Blok, a poet of the Russian Silver Age.
- 5 December – 200th birthdate of Russian poet Afanasy Fet.
- 31 December – 120th birthdate of Russian linguist Ditmar Rozental.
