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Danyl Ferhardt, 25, has lived in Kyiv all his life. His days are like everyone else’s: work, shopping, cleaning, and meeting friends, but all affected by curfews and the uncertainty of war. Still, for him and others, the city’s rave scene is a way to connect, have fun, and feel a little normal again.
Ukraine’s rave scene began to explode in the early 2010s with the opening of major venues like Closer. For years, rave events in Kyiv brought thousands of people and DJs from abroad, and the city became one of the most interesting electronic music scenes in Europe. Danyl Ferhardt, a 25 year old insurance agent who has lived in Kyiv his entire life, still vividly remembers his first rave party when he was 18: “My first party was CXEMA x PAN in 2019. It was the biggest rave at that time, thousands of people, sound, lights, everything was perfect. After that party I fell in love with that culture.”
During Covid-19, when most of the world was shut down, Kyrylivska 41, a club in Kyiv, found a way to organize large but regulated parties, requiring a rapid Covid test about 15 minutes before entering the club. Soon other organizations began hosting similar events, and from there the rave scene flourished. Kyiv experienced a significant boom in rave tourism, as clubs across Europe remained closed. International artists such as Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, DJ Tool, MRD, and Partiboi69 performed there several times a year, describing it as one of the best places to play.
In that moment the scene felt stronger than ever…Then February 2022 came, Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine, drastically changing people’s lives: confusion, fear, anger and uncertainty became part of everyday life, with missile attacks and air raid sirens distributing the peace. Many people left the country while others joined the army or started volunteering to support the war effort. In this gory context, nightlife immediately stopped and for months the city that had once been known for its vibrant music scene were forced to stay silent.
With the first curfew from 11pm to 6am and the restrictions on alcohol sale, nightlife felt impossible. Gradually, things began to shift: the curfew was extended to midnight, some bars and clubs reopened, and even under these new conditions, dancing became possible again. Talking with Danyl Ferhardt, his daily life retains an aspect of normality despite the war. He works, meets friends after work, buys groceries, cleans his home, and sometimes goes out for drinks. Yet everything he does is shaped by curfews, uncertainty, and the constant awareness that life can change at any moment.
A recent CNN video captures the atmosphere on Kyiv’s dance floors during the war: people moving to music under dim lights, bodies lost in the beat trying to find a moment of escape from the pressures of daily life. An attendee to this rave party declares in an interview, “we
will rave on Putin’s grave,” a phrase widely seen as a symbol of cultural resistance and resilience. At the same time, the video shows that these gatherings are also a way for Ukrainians to hold on to a sense of normality despite the conflict. CNN portrays the parties not just as entertainment, but as both a form of emotional protest and a way to preserve everyday routines after four years of brutal war.
But behind the images of dancing, the reality is more nuanced. Ferhardt, who has been attending raves since 2019, understands why these events matter, but he sees them differently: “Dancing and raving is resistance only at a minimal level,” he says. “How is a druggie dancing at 130 bpm resistance?” For him, the parties are less about fighting the war and more about connecting with friends and coping with stress. “For me, the party today isn’t really about the party itself, it’s just a place to spend time with friends.” He emphasizes that real resistance comes through donations, volunteering, and supporting friends on the front lines. At the beginning of the war, he explains, entry fees for parties were almost always donated directly to the Ukrainian military, but unfortunately, nowadays, more and more organizations keep the money for themselves.
He can still recognise the value of the scene: these gatherings, while not frontline resistance, provide solidarity and visibility for Ukraine’s struggle to the outside world. Today, Kyiv’s rave scene is a shadow of what it once was. Many of the city’s top DJs and producers have left the country, and some of the older ravers who shaped the culture are no longer around to mentor the new generation. While young people are joining the scene, Ferhardt notes, “the kids today don’t always know how to move, how to behave, or how to create the
energy that makes a great party.”
In spite of all of this, some unique and creative events still take place, keeping the spirit alive. For Ferhardt and many others, going to a party is no longer just about the music, it’s more a way to stay connected with friends, to feel alive, and in a small but meaningful way, to resist the war’s attempt to take normal life away. Ferhardt believes in the enduring spirit of Kyiv’s electronic scene. He says that when the war finally ends, Ukrainian ravers will reclaim the freedom to dance all night, without curfews or fear. “The strongest rave scenes often emerge where people fight for their freedom,” he explains. He recalls the legendary clubs of Berlin after the Wall, and vibrant scenes in Georgia and Latin America, and sees the same potential in Ukraine.
For now, he adds, parties are a way to maintain community, morale, and a touch of normality. But in his mind, the ultimate goal remains clear: a time when Kyiv’s festivals can once again run from dusk till dawn, by the river or the sea, full of music, lights, and people who know how to move together. “One day, when we are free, the Ukrainian rave scene will be one of the most powerful and wonderful in the world,” he says. Until then, every beat, every gathering, is a small act of hope and a reminder that the city’s spirit cannot be silenced.