The ninth Bouquet Kyiv Stage international festival of high arts will take place on Aug. 13-16, 2026, at the National Sanctuary of St. Sophia of Kyiv, bringing together music, contemporary art, theater, cinema, education and public discussions. This year’s festival will be held under the theme “Armed with Beauty,” with organizers presenting more than 50 events over four days.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to the organizers, the theme reflects Ukraine’s cultural response to Russia’s ongoing war and emphasizes the role of art in preserving memory, identity and hope. “Bouquet Kyiv Stage is about a force that does not destroy. It is about memory that refuses to disappear and culture that sustains the future. Beauty is not the opposite of strength. True strength lies in protecting what has no weapons. Today, Ukraine is armed with beauty,” said Bouquet Kyiv Stage organizers. Bouquet Kyiv Stage 2025 archive. (Image via Bouquet Kyiv Stage) Dubovyk exhibition to mark artist’s 95th anniversary One of the festival’s central events will be the multimedia exhibition “The Triumph of Bouquet,” dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Dubovyk. Dubovyk was born in Kyiv in 1931, during Joseph Stalin’s campaign of repression against Ukraine. His father, a poet, was executed in 1941.