On September 20, 2026, on the eve of the UN International Day of Peace, Lutsk Castle became the main venue of the jubilee, thirtieth "Ambassador of Childhood" festival. In a single day, the event gathered more than 12,500 guests — children, parents, educators, government officials, the diplomatic community, the public sector, culture, and business. The festival, which for three decades has remained one of the largest family events in western Ukraine, received a special symbolic accent in its jubilee season: its central initiative, "Children — Architects of Peace," challenged the familiar model in which adults speak about childhood while children merely listen.

"We Want to Live in Peace": Children Take the Floor

The principle of the jubilee program was extremely simple and at the same time bold: first, adults spoke about their responsibility for childhood, and then the floor was handed over to those to whom this childhood belongs. During a special five-minute video address, children shared how they see the world, Ukraine, and their own future. The final message was concise and categorical: "We want to grow. We want to dream. We want to create. We want to live in peace." After the video, children and honored guests took the stage to create a symbolic "Circle of Peace," joined by representatives of government, the diplomatic corps, clergy, public organizations, and the festival team.

Minute of Silence and the Anthem: The Official Part

Ceremony participants spoke about adults' responsibility for children's safety and development, as well as the right of Ukrainian children to learn, dream, and build the future in a free state. After the official part, the audience observed a minute of silence in memory of those who perished due to the Russian war and performed the State Anthem of Ukraine. This moment was perhaps the most emotional in the program: the thirty-year-old festival, born in peacetime, sounded in its jubilee year as a manifesto of continuity — children continue to grow, even when the world around them has changed.

WELLBOY — The Unexpected Secret Guest

The main surprise of the jubilee evening was the appearance on stage of WELLBOY — one of the most recognizable Ukrainian artists. The organizers did not reveal his name until the moment of his entrance, and the audience's reaction was, according to witnesses, the loudest of the entire day. The concert program was opened by People's Artist of Ukraine Serhiy Skulynets, who presented his new original song "Lutsk Unites Hearts." Then the stage was joined by Anastasiia Dymyd, Denys Hryshchuk, Sofia Nersesyan, NADYUSHA, KOVALEVA, TETYA MOTTYA, SISTERS MIX, PANIKA, YULANA, VLAD AFITSKY, NASTYA SEMCHUK, Anastasiia Prokukhanova, IVAN BORT, AVASIYA Tulyeva, GOLUBENKO, Maryana Romas, Nastia Baloh, THE ELLIENS, and Oleksandr Petruk. The hosts of the evening were Serhiy Stakhov, along with young Anastasiia Prokukhanova and Kristina Lyssychko.

Safety, Master Classes, and Contests: What Else Happened at the Castle

Throughout the day, within the walls of Lutsk Castle, dozens of master classes and interactive activities were held, dedicated to creativity, sports, mental health, social support, safe behavior, and the all-round development of children. A separate block was devoted to the theme of safety: a quiz on mine countermeasure safety was conducted for children, during which they answered questions about emergency service numbers, rules of conduct upon discovering suspicious objects, and the work of demining specialists. Quiz winners received sets of educational materials. In parallel, YouTube and Shazam contests were held: 15 winners received gifts and took the stage together with the artists to perform the "Ambassador of Childhood" anthem.

Thirty Years Without Stopping

The thirtieth "Ambassador of Childhood" confirmed that the format invented three decades ago has not become outdated. On the contrary, amid war and international isolation, the festival has become a space where children can simply be children — dream, create, sing, and believe that peace is possible. The jubilee "Circle of Peace" at Lutsk Castle, closed by the hands of thousands of children and adults, became visual proof that this right has not been revoked.