#MusicNightHadPassed In 2021 the long-awaited Music Night took place on October 22. The Ural Music Night festival was originally scheduled for June 25, but it was postponed to a later date due to the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions. Guests of Ural Music Night could visit 52 venues and listen to 1,300 musicians. Music Night was carried out at a difficult time, so special safety and comfort of festival guests was treated with special attention. One of the most crowded stages in 2021 was the MOTIV Stage where popular music played and hip-hop artists performed including Kasta and LSP. Billy's Band, Underground and Zapreschenye Barabanschiki ("Forbidden Drummers") performed on the jazz-funk stage at the Railwaymen Palace of Culture. There was also an indie stage with musical groups Kazuskoma, GAFT, Ishome, Makodzeba, Sova and others. Cinema and concert theater Cosmos also united several venues of the festival: the music Russian nations, World Music "Emerald City", folk carnival with performances of Troll gnyet yel and "Bagpipes and drums of St. Petersburg", a concert of Boris Berezovsky with the ensemble Volnitsa. Many artists shared their fears that no concerts will happen after the Urals Music Night because of the restrictions. That's why the music sounded so much more sincere and fiery, despite the small number of spectators on the stages. IOWA: "Klava Koka came into our dressing room and we hugged each other: "Well, let's celebrate the last ever public concert", because we didn't know, what would await tomorrow. Yukhim: "Everything was very moving and valuable, because it felt like that was the closing festival for the nearest future and the ultimate performance so to say. I wanted to remember everything, every movement and every rustle, every flash of light, that's why it all went on with trembling and affection felt by me". Billy's Band came to the festival with the first night of a program totally dedicated to their childhood idols, the Beatles. "You may say that we're in a Beatles mood here both literally and figuratively," said the frontman Billy Novick. After performing their traditional program at the Railwaymen palace Billy's Band invited the audience to their next concert which were to begin within the next three hours. And at the same moment there were shouts from the audience: "We know that!". It could only happen at the Ural Music Night. Despite all the difficulties the atmosphere among the young musicians was inspiring and motivating not to leave their favorite activity. "The eyesights of the people who are leaning towards the music and watching with interest after what you are doing is very inspiring to keep on going" - said Yukhim. Online broadcasts were available from 11 major venues of the festival and everyone could join and listen to the musicians via the website, the app, on the air of Channel 4 and the portal E1. By the time it was over the broadcast of the Music Night festival on VKontakte had been viewed by 4 million 750 thousand viewers. This year the festival culminated with the performance of IOWA singing their hits in row and of course the festival anthem along with the B-A-C-H orchestra.

Анатолий Зайков