24th International Festival of Arts tickets on sale for July event

It’s always good to maintain an element of surprise, announcing only the main names and novelties at the annual Slavianski Bazaar, scheduled for July 9th-13th. Performing are Grigory Leps, Valery Meladze, Irina Allegrova, Valeria, Yelena Vaenga and Bi-2 rock group. Meanwhile, the programme includes the traditional concert of friendship, entitled Union State Invites, which is this year devoted to the creativity of Alexandra Pakhmutova.

Tickets went on sale earlier than ever this year, on March 20th, with prices up on 2014 by an average of 15 percent. The opening concert has been selling out fast, even without its final line-up being confirmed, as have seats at Grigory Leps’ (expensive) solo concert: the first such at the Vitebsk festival.

The youth project Europaplus TV. LIVE in Vitebsk is also being organised for the first time, as is the festival of street art, entitled On Seven Winds. The first is being hosted by the summer amphitheatre and is sure to prove a hit with younger audiences, although those appearing won’t be announced until mid-April. The latter will transform the festival into a real carnival, with actors, artists, poets, musicians and singers delighting spectators with open-air entertainment. Collectives from Belarus, Russia, France and Ukraine will perform, with applications for participation continuing via online registration (at fest-sbv.by) until May 15th.

Selection rounds for the event’s vocal competitions have already taken place in Macedonia, Mexico, Ecuador, Lithuania, Estonia and Israel, with Russia and Belarus soon to announce their representatives. The jury of the international pop song performers contest at Vitebsk-2015 will be headed by People’s Artiste of Azerbaijan Polad Bülbüloğlu — a singer and composer. The Grand Prix is valued at $20,000, followed by prizes worth $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000. For the first time, the semi-final, taking place at the Vitebsk Concert Hall, is being televised.

Belarus, Ukraine and Russia are to offer not two participants, but only one each for the children’s singing contest, and all winners, young and adult, will be awarded at the solemn closing ceremony, notes the chairman of the jury of the children’s contest, singer and composer Dmitry Malikov.

Tickets for Theatrical Meetings, Festival Without Borders, Doll Format and the 13th international children’s musical contest Vitebsk-2015 will go on sale in May, with the second stage of all other ticket sales beginning in one week’s time. Visit KVITKI BY and Ticketpro websites for more details.