How PROSTONEBA Fest Summer Ethno Dvizh 2024 took place

Every great thing starts with a dream…
Or a crazy idea 😉

Two years ago, Yana came up with just such an idea and whispered: ‘Dnipro needs a festival!’. And Yana came to the team and asked: ‘Shall we do it?’ And we couldn’t refuse her 🫡

Last year’s inaugural PROSTONEBA showed us what to change, what to add, and what to focus on. And this year we approached the organisation in a completely different way.

Firstly, we decided that one day would not be enough for us, so we made it two. And secondly, we thought we could definitely use a few more cool and bright musical artists 🤌🏻

And so, on 9 and 10 August, the PROSTONEBA Fest Summer Ethno Dance took place 🥳

More than 3000 people visited the Lavina amusement park during these two days, just imagine this scale!

And all these people came together to help us in a good cause – to raise UAH 1 200 000 for bionic prostheses for veterans from Esper Bionics. They are the only serial manufacturer of bionic prostheses in Ukraine, and on our main stage you could listen to the presentation and talk to the programme manager Bohdan Diordytsia and Pavlo, a military man who uses Esper Hand 🤌🏻 (but we’ve already gone ahead of ourselves, let’s start from the beginning)

And what was waiting for them?

Firstly, our incredible girls at the ticket office, who gave out coloured bracelets depending on the day of the festival.

After passing through the gates, the magic of our interactive zones was revealed:

✨ Wedding zone, wreath zone from weekends.flowers, fortune-telling zone, photo zone from photoboozzz, art tattoo, amulet creation, tea zone from tea.clan.ua and art zone where everyone could create new memories of this day for a donation.

The market zone by hanza.dnipro was in full swing.

Ukrainian craft brands gathered under the roof of the skating rink, bringing their bright creations and introducing all the guests to what they do. Here you could buy a dress, jewellery, delicious farm products, something delicate and unusual for comfort, find new books or even a car seat for your furry friend. We think that few people left empty-handed. If anything, we couldn’t resist either.

And those who were already hungry took their place in the food zone. Here everyone could find something to eat. Fancy some Asian food at lunch? Then BLACK SHEEP and BROOKS are waiting for you. Fancy a coffee break? DAM is already preparing your filter for you. Or maybe you want something Ukrainian? Choose (NE) Borsch or Varenika, or you can try both. Looking for cocktails? The PROSTONEBA bar is already winking in the centre of the zone.

The atmosphere on both days was just amazing: smiling people in embroidered shirts, happy children riding on a swing, and even a lot of dogs who were scratching near the sun loungers and waiting for their treat. And everyone was just enjoying the weekend with like-minded people.

The stage also featured an interactive lecture entitled ‘Unspeakable U’ by Ksenia Taranenko, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, and head of the ProMovU educational project. She told interesting facts about the language, actively involved the audience in her lecture, and gave away gifts.

And without a unique masterclass in traditional dancing by the folklore group Shchuka-Ryba, the real magic of the Summer Ethno Festival would not have happened. It seems that it was the first time Dnipro danced Ukrainian dances so much and with such joy. It was impossible to sit still, which is why you could see people in white T-shirts with the words ‘PROSTONEBA’ in the crowd, sometimes distracted by conversations over the radio.

And in the evening, we had the event we had been waiting for in our direct mail – performances by our bright artists.

On the first day, FIINKA was the first to rock the house, and with their Hutsul soul and beautiful dialect, they captivated everyone so much that we did not expect such a response from the Dnipro residents. They sang songs, made conversation, and even danced a huge round dance.

And then they came out – Kurgan and Agregat. And Lavina just started singing, dancing and donating even more in unison. It seems that at that time Dnipro became the brightest point that could be seen from space, the energy from the guys was so strong.

On the second day of the festival, the first artists were the indie-pop band Tember Blanche, who performed their recognisable hits and even some new ones. Those who were used to seeing the band in a lyrical mood were able to see their playful side, and this was a great gift for the fans.

Then the mood changed to lyrics, and the Dnipro band Komnata Gretchen took the stage. We have already met the guys from last year, but this time they also surprised the audience with their mood.

And for dessert, there was the one who sings about Olya, Sasha, whales, sad dances and lips – DANTES! All the favourite hits, driving real vibe and incredible charisma simply enchanted and ‘tore’ everyone who was there at that moment. And we are sure that no one regretted anything.

And at the end of the two days, each evening ended with a DJ set by two of the city’s coolest favourites – SERGEY LINE and NICOLAS GELAN.

We thank everyone who came, participated, donated and supported. These two days have shown how much we can enjoy our culture and what is in our genetic code – unity, faith and support – helps us to do such great things.

We know you are waiting for something new from us. And believe us, we are already preparing it.

Your PROSTONEBA team 💙