On November 4, the capital's Palace "Ukraine" hosted the large-scale musical project "Slager of the Year 2026", gathering over 2,500 spectators in the stands. The evening became one of the largest live musical events in Kyiv in recent times: hits that unite listeners of all ages sounded from the stage, and the hall was packed to capacity. The organizers emphasize that holding the concert under wartime conditions required significant additional efforts, but the team decided not to cancel the event.
A Stage That United Generations
More than 25 performers representing several generations of the Ukrainian pop scene took part in the evening's program. Among them were Pavlo Zibrov, Aurika Rotaru, Olha Sumska, Oksana Bilozir, Alla and Maksym Kudlai, El Kravchuk, Svitlana Belonozhko, Dmytro and Nazariy Yaremchuk, JULIK, Anna Dobrydneva, Vladyslav Melnyk, Vitaliy Piskarov, Petro Chornyi, ANNA MARIA, Nadiia Shestak, Andriy Knyaz, Dima Nikitin, Vitaliy Lobach, Iryna Sheheda, Sofiia and Mariia Sushko, the "Hetman" band, Oleksandr Tkachenko, Tetiana Ozerianets, Olha Barben, Daniela Shapochnykova, Liubov Soltan, and Oleh Sertan. This combination of names allowed the audience to hear both classic hits and modern interpretations of popular melodies.
A Concert Defying Air Raid Alerts
Shortly before the event began, an air raid alert was announced in Kyiv. Nevertheless, according to the organizers, no new obstacles arose during the concert program itself, and the evening continued according to the planned scenario. Spectators already in the hall listened to the program in full. This episode became another testament to the fact that cultural life in the capital does not stop even during tense hours.
Voices of Unity from the Stage
In addition to musical performances, the program included conversational segments where hosts chatted with invited artists. Performers shared how their personal lives and creative activities have changed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Words of gratitude, support, and reminders of the importance of unity, care for loved ones, and faith in the future sounded from the stage. For many viewers, according to the organizers, a few hours in the hall became an opportunity to escape from everyday anxieties and feel the atmosphere of community.
Behind the Scenes of a Large-Scale Event
The main producer and organizer of the project was Anzhela Norboieva. She shared that the team faced a number of logistical and organizational difficulties, but decided not to abandon the concert. "It was important for us that Ukrainian artists could take the stage, and the audience could hear their favorite songs and feel the atmosphere of unity for at least a few hours," the producer noted. Norboieva also announced a television version of the musical evening: the full recording of the festival will be broadcast on television screens, although the specific broadcast date has not yet been specified by the organizers.
A Project with a Thirty-Year History
The musical project "Slager of the Year" was founded in 1995 by Ukrainian composer Oleksandr Zlotnyk. Over more than three decades of existence, it has become one of the longest-running musical projects of the domestic pop scene, designed to introduce listeners to popular Ukrainian songs and unite artists of different generations on one stage. The 2026 concert demonstrated that even in the conditions of a full-scale war, the Ukrainian music scene continues to live, and live meetings between performers and the audience remain in demand and emotionally significant for the public.
