Western artists who performed at Moscow’s Outline Festival have been criticised for normalising war by Ukrainian activist Maya Baklanova. Baklanova, who is involved in the dance music scene in Kyiv, claims the artists are promoting the Russian regime and the war in Ukraine. She argues that by travelling to Moscow and performing, the artists are contributing to the Russian economy and the military budget. More than 110 artists were added to the Outline’s line-up earlier this month, including acts from France, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and the United States. The festival, which is run by the team behind the Russian club Mutabor, is held in Moscow close to the Kremlin, site of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine.
Headliner DJ AtomTM said that criticism against his performance at Outline was a “smear campaign”. “I consider myself a profoundly non- or rather trans-political person,” he said. “Unlike politics, which is the mode of separation, I had chosen music, which is the mode of unification.” In 2016, the festival was cancelled after local authorities claimed the festival had failed to meet permit requirements. Organisers disputed the claims.
The festival’s revival in 2023 was controversial, following “potential rioting” and reports of military personnel outside the scheduled venue. Critics are unhappy that foreign artists could be legitimising the Kremlin in the face of ongoing political pressure as a result of Russia’s role in the Ukraine war. Following the festival, reports emerged of a tent with military recruiting posters outside the entrance to the Outline’s car park. The annual festival is one of Russia’s biggest techno and experimental music events, attracting thousands of visitors.
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