Brave! Factory returns in new Kyiv location with Spencer Parker, Monotronique and Yana Ponura
Kyiv’s two-day dance festival will place across August 24 to 25
Brave! Factory, Ukraine’s two-day electronic music festival, is returning to the country's capital this weekend, this time in a brand new location.
It kicks off on Saturday, August 24, Ukraine's independence day, and runs over Sunday as well.
The event will take over the grounds of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, with a mix of local and international DJs including Reade Truth, Heith, VSK, Mari.te, Yana Ponura, Borys, PRZ, Monotronique, and Spencer Parker.
Previous years have seen the festival occupy Kyiv’s Metrobud factory, while last year (which marked the event's return following a two-year hiatus due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine) saw the first ‘in-club’ edition of Brave! Factory at the Kyiv venue, Closer, which is run by the same team that organises the festival.
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The new location brings with it an exciting theme, as the festival organisers explain: "Our venue is the Kyiv Film Factory, where films have been produced since 1927. That’s why we decided to create the festival as one big film set, with our announcements styled as movie scenes. We hope the festival will feel like a fun, adventurous youth musical comedy."
Festivalgoers will be able to see the acts spread over five stages: Depo, Avtotzeh, Pavilion, the concert stage Auditoria, and a secret, unrevealed location. Meanwhile, there will be a chill-out zone, food court, and a selection of art installations, for those wishing to take a break from the dance.
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The festival is yet another example of how Ukraine’s underground music scene has remained strong and resilient in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion, coming up with creative ways to mobilise their networks and use their facilities to aid the war effort.
In 2022, the team behind Brave! Factory, who also own the Closer club, opened their venue's doors to provide food for women, children, doctors, and soldiers.
The return of Brave! Factory both this year and last, gives the young people of Kyiv and beyond the chance to experience dance music at its best.
Read this next: Thirst for freedom: Kyiv's queer clubbing community returns to the dancefloor
Follow the festival for updates on Instagram.
Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram