Believe it or not, in summer Moscow usually gets rather hot. It’s also the season when the city is fully awake, with more events happening than at any other time of the year. Almost every weekend a new market, exhibition, or festival takes place, making it pretty hard to choose which one to attend.
Nevertheless, over the years some big annual events have become an integral – and fun – part of Moscow’s summer culture. Here are our top picks.
Usadba Jazz at Arkhangelskoe
This iconic open-air jazz festival has been taking place in Moscow for over a decade, making it one of the city’s favourite outdoor events. The location is always the same – the gorgeous 19th-century Arkhangelskoe Estate and its surroundings. Aside from some great classical and modern jazz, blues, funk, soul, and world music, there’s a new theme each year: in 2025 it was ecology, introducing some local eco-designers and culinary artists to jazz-loving Muscovites.
Red Square Book Fest
This year Moscow’s annual book festival will take over the historic Red Square for the fourth time. The event celebrates the reading culture, introduces the best local publishing houses, and allows visitors to attend masterclasses and listen to some well-known modern Russian writers. The program covers several themes, including fiction, non-fiction, ebooks, children’s and educational literature, antique and secondhand books, as well as spotlighting different Russian regions. Famous Russian museums present their publishing projects and catalogues, while there are live concerts and performances throughout the festival.
Moscow Flower Show
Who knew Moscow could be a rose? Last year a new variety of rose was created just to celebrate the 870th anniversary of the Russian capital. This international garden festival is a paradise for admirers of landscape design and all things green and blooming. Both recognized and up-and-coming landscape designers present their works and compete for the main prize, awarded by an international jury. Visitors get a chance to release their inner flower child.
Taste of Moscow
This international food festival has been around for a long time, covering 19 cities worldwide and gaining huge popularity in Moscow. The city’s 30 best restaurants will participate in the program this year, offering visitors their most renowned dishes and products. Guests can enjoy exclusive menus created specifically for the festival, attend tastings, or learn to cook from professional chefs. The interactive program will also include concerts, masterclasses, pop-up performances, and activities for children.
Park Live
Much loved by both locals and visitors to the city, the annual Park Live rock festival has achieved international status in its six years of existence. It treats fans to performances from world-famous and local rock stars. Hosting Muse in 2015 was a highlight in the festival’s history, while Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Limp Bizkit, and System of a Down have also headlined. In 2018, revellers will have a chance to see David Guetta, Gorillaz, and Massive Attack in vibrant Gorky Park in the heart of the city.
Afisha Picnic
Moscow’s biggest open-air festival is a summer rave for food and music lovers. Organized by Afisha magazine, it has expanded year on year and has moved from concert halls and stadiums to the vast Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, a former royal estate and a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the Moscow River. The organizers ensure there’s always lots going on, so in addition to multiple music stages, you can find food stalls with local products, a designer market, gaming and lecture areas – all with a strict no-alcohol policy.
Times and Epochs
The ultimate historical festival in Russia expands each year, taking over Moscow parks, recreational areas, and some of the main streets. It brings together the best from the world of historical re-enactment, boasting more than 6,000 participants in 2017 (many of them from abroad). Soldiers, merchants, craftsmen, and musicians walk the streets in traditional costumes, performing or teaching the arts, crafts, and games of the past. Best of all, the festival focuses on engaging the audience in the lifestyles of different eras, from the Stone Age to Soviet times.
Moscow City Day
Moscow turned 870 in 2017, and to celebrate the occasion, the city administration hosted a ten-day festival under the slogan ‘Moscow is a city where history is being made’. With Russian avant-garde as the main theme, dozens of events, lectures, performances, and street markets celebrated the history of the capital and its prominent inhabitants. Plenty of music, food, and modern art is always to be expected on the city streets during this time. Additionally, don’t miss the magnificent fireworks.
