A MATCH ON A HIGH NOTE

In its first year, Art-Football featured 41 matches and 19 concerts at key venues in Sochi, culminating in a final concert at the Winter Theater, attended by 20,000 viewers. Several more events followed, but the festival has not been held in Russia since 2020.
Everything changed when Yuri Davydov, frontman of the “Zodchie” band and the inspiring force behind Art-Football, revived this fine tradition. The festival once again enjoyed the support of the Government of Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Sports, the Moscow Sports Department, and the Russian Football Union. This year, the matches were covered by the fans’ favourites—Viktor Gusev and Grigory Tvaltvadze. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin also sent a welcome letter to the Festival participants.

But why revive Art-Football after such a long hiatus?
The Russian Deputy Minister of Sports Alexander Nikitin addressed this matter at the opening ceremony, noting that “the team members are of absolutely different backgrounds—performers, musicians, journalists, among others—and all in one place. Above all, this is a festival of friendship among peoples, sports, and healthy lifestyle.” Yuri Davydov himself succinctly described the festival’s concept: “Art-Football is neither about sports nor show. It is a festival of friendship, where the battle is not to the strong, but to the empathic.”

The opening ceremony at the Sapsan Arena also featured performances by the Russian “Zodchie” band, British singer, songwriter and actor Leo Ihenacho, Peruvian singer and songwriter Daniela Darcourt, Turkish singer and composer Deniz Cem, and Romanian singer Kamara Ghedi.

SETTING THE TONE FROM DAY ONE
Art-Football 2025 welcomed 16 teams from 20 countries, including Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, South Korea, Japan, and a team called “Inter,” which brought together players from nations not included in the main list.
The teams of celebrities from the music and film industries competed for the title of champions in a format similar to FIFA cups.

FOOTBALL, MUSIC, AND FRIENDSHIP
From June 7 to 15, Moscow hosted thrilling matches filled with great plays and intense emotions. Musicians and artists from various countries competed in footballing prowess, united by Art-Football, which has become family over the decades. The competition was not merely about rivalry, but rather showcased a bright, professional, and intense struggle for the championship. Once again, the players demonstrated sportsmanship, a will to win, skill, and courage.

Football is a dynamic sport with a high incidence of injury. This time too festival players were unlucky to incur injuries and get sidelined, yet, they returned—some as fans, bandaged and even on crutches—continuing to lift team morale, while rival teams “shared” players to help guide their comrades towards victory.
Undoubtedly, the teams drew inspiration from their supporters: music fans and spectators across different nations, particularly the numerous contingents from Argentina, Türkiye, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan.

By the end of the tournament, the results were as follows:
gold—Argentina,
silver—Hungary,
bronze—Serbia.
The remaining teams placed as follows: 4th place—Azerbaijan, 5th place—Türkiye, 6th place—Belarus, 7th place—Iran, 8th place—Kazakhstan, 9th place—Peru.

The Russian team took 10th place. Yuri Davydov said: “You should take breaks at being world champion, otherwise it would be rather indecent.”
As for individual accolades, the referees decided as follows:

• Best player—Mariano Sapetti (Argentina),
• Best forward—Abil Baigaziev (Kyrgyzstan),
• Top scorer—Ba Yunryol
• (South Korea),
• Best defender—Ansat Dilbadaiy (Kazakhstan),
• Best midfielder—Mikhail Kolbenev (Belarus),
• Best goalkeeper—László Szűcs (Hungary).

HUMANITARIAN MISSION AS A KEY PRIORITY
Amidst the celebration of music and football, festival players found time for what is truly important—children. Russian, South Korean, and Turkish artist teams visited a children’s training session at the inclusive “Absolute” school in Serpukhov, where they engaged in a friendly football match with the young players.

Following the match, the musicians held a concert, where Korean artists sang in their native language, while Turkish performer Buğrahan Çayır played a touching piece “Freed from Desire” on the guitar. The mini-concert concluded with Yuri Davydov performing a song by Gennady Gladkov from the “Town Musicians of Bremen” cartoon. Pupils from “Absolute” recited poetry, sang songs, and performed dance routines, receiving footballs, sports uniforms, and plush toys as gifts.

On June 11, festival participants laid flowers at the foot of the Unknown Soldier monument, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. The South Korean Art-Football team performed a traditional Korean bow as a tribute to the heroic soldiers of the Great Patriotic War who paid the highest price for the Victory.

IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE!
In line with the festival’s tradition and regulations, each evening after the football matches the Izmaylovo Hall hosted concerts by the Art Football teams. Performances were assessed by an esteemed international jury chaired by Evgeny Safronov, the editor-in-chief of the news agency “InterMedia,” and included representatives from all participating teams—renowned artists from their respective countries.
The festival also featured performances by invited guests, including Joe Lynn Turner, former lead singer of Deep Purple and Rainbow, Kallay Saunders from Hungary, as well as Russian singers Dmitry Malikov, Vladimir Kuzmin, Valeriy Syutkin, Irakly.

The final day of the festival, June 15, saw a gala concert. The Izmaylovo Hall had never been this jammed to the gills: every seat and aisle was occupied, with viewers sitting on the stairs and standing in the doorways. It was a complete sell-out! The final concert featured artists from the participating countries and the “World Team” performed their best music. Notably, a Korean rock band was greeted with particular enthusiasm, as they gave a passionate rendition of Viktor Tsoi’s “Peremen!” (Changes) in Korean, and a Kyrgyz singer Daniyar Dolotbakov sang “Russkoye Pole” (Russian Field).

Following the gala concert, the festival officially concluded with an awards ceremony, hosted by Viktor Gusev, who announced the results:

• Russia won the “Best Song” gold and took the “Best Singer” silver,
• Peru won bronze for the “Best DJ” and silver for the “Best Original Performance,”
• The Turkish team came in second in “Best DJ” and was awarded gold for the “Best Concert Programme,”
• Serbia earned gold in the “Best DJ,”
• South Korea received bronze for the “Original Performance” and placed third for the “Best Concert Programme,”
• The Georgian team took home gold for the “Best Original Programme” and bronze for the “Best Singer,”
• Azerbaijan was awarded bronze for the “Best Instrumental Composition,”
• The Kazakh team came in second place in the “Best Instrumental Composition,”
• Paraguay earned gold in the “Best Instrumental Composition,”
• Belarus won third place in the “Best Group,”

• Japan received silver in the “Best Group” and “Best Programme,”
• Iran took second place in the “Best Song,”
• The Hungarian team also did not leave empty-handed, with the headliner of their performance “Kallay Saunders Band” captivating the audience with a true rock ‘n’ roll vibe and securing bronze for the “Best Song.”

Meanwhile, the Kyrgyzstan team became the absolute champion in the musical segment, bringing back to Bishkek the Grand Prix and the collective “Gold” in the “Best Singer,” awarded to the entire team. Their musical programme was vibrant and multifaceted—from operatic arias and folk instrument pieces to variety turns and patriotic songs dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and Russia Day. At the award ceremony,

Yuri Davydov, the founder of the festival, presented honorary awards to the Kyrgyz team recieved by Elena Soklakova, team president, and Alexander Volkodav, the undeniable headliner and winner of the 10th anniversary season of the show “The Voice” on Channel One.

The evening culminated in a joint choral performance of the song “Podmoskovnye Vechera” (Moscow nights) performed in Russian by participants from all countries. Following the festival’s closing, musical works and songs in different languages sang by the players echoed through the lobby of the Izmaylovo-Alfa hotel until the early morning.

VIVA ART-FOOTBALL!
Throughout the event, just like after its conclusion, its participants spoke kindly of the festival.
Lidji Goryaev, a member of the Russian Art-Football team and a People’s Artist of Kalmykia: “I simply love football. I’ve loved it since childhood and I love the stage. So, I combine business with pleasure. Art-Football is the perfect place to showcase your talents both on stage and on the football pitch.”
Leo Ihenacho, a British singer and veteran of Art-Football who played for the “Inter” team: “It’s great that Art-Football is back. We participated in the event for 5–6 years consecutively. So, I am really happy that we can come back to Russia again and play football after a six-year break. I hope that Art-Football will be with us for many more years to come.”
Kamara Ghedi, a Romanian singer from the “Inter” team: “The festival is wonderful! After seven years, I’m once again enjoying playing and being in Moscow, even though my Romanian team is not here with me. Many of the players from the team have concerts and performances scheduled. And I did too. But I canceled everything to come here.”

The 2025 Football and Music Festival was marked by great plays and overwhelming emotions, getting deep under the skin of both participants and spectators. The event, merging sport and musical artistry, brought together representatives from various nations and cultures, forging bonds of respect and friendship. And it is safe to say that in the future Art-Football will only strengthen these profound sentiments, which are perhaps some of the most important in life and people-to-people relations.

Adi Koren, Israeli Vice President for Promotion and Information Development of the Festival: “It was not just a comeback, but a celebration of life—a celebration where art, music, football and the unconditional love for everything you do embrace the world and make it one.”

Photos provided by the Organizing Committee of the Art-Football Festival. Photo: A. Belozerov, M. Zimin