Ukrainian artist plays three sold-out arena shows in Kyiv

Amid Russia’s war against Ukraine, local pop artist Artem Pivovarov performed three sold-out shows at Kyiv Sports Palace, drawing 10,000 attendees each night.

The April shows, for which tickets were priced between US$25 and $150, mark the longest run of concerts at the arena by any Ukrainian artist.

Music Export Ukraine’s Dartsya Tarkovska called his most recent run “a great success story to note in these wild times”.

Discussing his recent run of shows, Pivovarov told IQ that the main challenge was providing all the necessary technical equipment.

“A large amount of it was brought from Europe and considering the situation on the borders, that wasn’t an easy task at all. Thank god and our technical partners, we coped with that in time!” he said.

Event safety was also a major focus for the team, which dedicated a “huge amount of attention, time and skills” to keeping attendees safe during the shows.

“[These shows] are a great success story to note in these wild times”

“Our country has been subjected to constant missile and drone attacks for more than two years and Kyiv, as the capital city, is no exception,” explains Pivovarov.

“Ukraine is in a very hot and hard phase of the war right now. We had to be ready for different types of provocations and attacks during the shows. As you can imagine, the level of our responsibility in matters of security was off the charts. We worked on that task with private security companies and with the police department.”

Against all odds, the concerts went ahead without a hitch and proved to be a cathartic and essential experience for attendees.

“Obviously, in these difficult times, people in Ukraine are in particular need of support,” he said. “There’s a special atmosphere at our concerts. The audience can let out their emotions, laugh and cry, communicate sincerely and recharge because we always exchange energy at our performances. Сoncerts at the Palace of Sports were no exception. Our new and unique show gave people an unforgettable experience and positive emotions, which is really needed now.”

Pivovarov’s shows aren’t the only ones to take place in the war-torn country. Vladyslav Yaremchuk, programming director of Atlas Festival, told IQ last August that “concerts are happening everywhere in Ukraine”. 

But despite a burgeoning live music scene in Ukraine, execs such as YOUROPE’s Christof Huber have encouraged the international live music industry not to forget about the ongoing war.

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