Russian Music Concert Guide
If you’re a fan of Russian music, you will probably want to experience it live when you travel to Russia. The good news is that Russian music shows and concerts are quite common – there’s something happening almost every day in the big cities. These concerts also tend to be relatively inexpensive, although of course this varies widely. Whether you’re a fan of classical, rock or electronic music, you can always find a concert to suit your tastes. The bad news is that it can be hard to find out when and where these performances are going on. Here is a guide to the performances to look out for, depending on your musical preferences, and of course where to get tickets!
These are your everyday shows that are usually inexpensive, in a cozy, intimate venue and not too long in duration. These kinds of performances are typically Russian rock and techno and electronica shows. The venue is usually a bar, or a bar/club; this means no formal seating procedure – most shows are general admission only and you have to get there early if you want to grab a table. This is what makes it so much fun, though – if you like, you can usually get right up to the stage, and often after the show you can catch the performers hanging around and sometimes even have a drink with them.
The best place to find out about these shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg – and also buy tickets – is on the website timeout.ru. If you’re outside of those cities, often the best way is simply looking around at the posters on the streets. (Don’t forget to memorize what the band’s name looks like in Cyrillic!) Very often you will be able to find out about small shows which have not been advertised on the artists’ websites. The way to then get tickets is to simply find the venue – either before or on the day of the show – and purchase a ticket there.
Russians are still one of the most welcoming people in the world for “Big performers”. They go crazy for performers like Rammstein, Aerosmith, Paul McCartney and so on. And these performers love to go there. You will usually see them doing gigantic sold-out shows, either in huge venues or –very frequently -on Red Square in Moscow. Tickets are usually more expensive for these shows, of course, but if you can afford it, they’re usually incredible and absolutely worth the money in terms of quality and duration.
Famous Russian pop singers often fall under this category as well, preferring to do big, “Western style” shows instead of small and intimate ones. Of course this depends on the artist, but in general you will usually find the Pop/Top 40 singers in the big venues.
The best way to find out about shows and tickets is again timeout.ru, but also of course the artists’ websites and posters on the streets.
If you’re a fan of classical music, you’re going to have to get dressed up and go to the theatre to enjoy some Shostakovich or Chaikovsky compositions. Russian theaters are grand, imposing and breathtakingly beautiful, and perfectly suited for enjoying classical music performances. While tickets can be quite expensive, there is often the chance to buy last-minute discounted tickets before 12:00 p.m on the day of the performance. If that fails, you can always get some back-row seats and binoculars. Find out more details about the shows, and how to get tickets, on the websites of the theatres themselves.
Of course, if you want to see several Russian performers and Western big names all in one place, it’s best to go to a music festival. Russia has plenty of them happening throughout the summer, mostly concentrated in the most popular cities for travel. Prices naturally vary depending on the amount of big names, but usually it’s less expensive to go to a festival in Russia than it is to go to one elsewhere. They also tend to be one-day instead of multiple-day events.
•Regular shows
These are your everyday shows that are usually inexpensive, in a cozy, intimate venue and not too long in duration. These kinds of performances are typically Russian rock and techno and electronica shows. The venue is usually a bar, or a bar/club; this means no formal seating procedure – most shows are general admission only and you have to get there early if you want to grab a table. This is what makes it so much fun, though – if you like, you can usually get right up to the stage, and often after the show you can catch the performers hanging around and sometimes even have a drink with them.
The best place to find out about these shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg – and also buy tickets – is on the website timeout.ru. If you’re outside of those cities, often the best way is simply looking around at the posters on the streets. (Don’t forget to memorize what the band’s name looks like in Cyrillic!) Very often you will be able to find out about small shows which have not been advertised on the artists’ websites. The way to then get tickets is to simply find the venue – either before or on the day of the show – and purchase a ticket there.
•Mega shows
Russians are still one of the most welcoming people in the world for “Big performers”. They go crazy for performers like Rammstein, Aerosmith, Paul McCartney and so on. And these performers love to go there. You will usually see them doing gigantic sold-out shows, either in huge venues or –very frequently -on Red Square in Moscow. Tickets are usually more expensive for these shows, of course, but if you can afford it, they’re usually incredible and absolutely worth the money in terms of quality and duration.
Famous Russian pop singers often fall under this category as well, preferring to do big, “Western style” shows instead of small and intimate ones. Of course this depends on the artist, but in general you will usually find the Pop/Top 40 singers in the big venues.
The best way to find out about shows and tickets is again timeout.ru, but also of course the artists’ websites and posters on the streets.
•Theater shows
If you’re a fan of classical music, you’re going to have to get dressed up and go to the theatre to enjoy some Shostakovich or Chaikovsky compositions. Russian theaters are grand, imposing and breathtakingly beautiful, and perfectly suited for enjoying classical music performances. While tickets can be quite expensive, there is often the chance to buy last-minute discounted tickets before 12:00 p.m on the day of the performance. If that fails, you can always get some back-row seats and binoculars. Find out more details about the shows, and how to get tickets, on the websites of the theatres themselves.
•Festivals
Of course, if you want to see several Russian performers and Western big names all in one place, it’s best to go to a music festival. Russia has plenty of them happening throughout the summer, mostly concentrated in the most popular cities for travel. Prices naturally vary depending on the amount of big names, but usually it’s less expensive to go to a festival in Russia than it is to go to one elsewhere. They also tend to be one-day instead of multiple-day events.
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