Published on: 2026-08-18
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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IX Great Children’s Festival The (BDF) will open on August 22 on the stage “Theatre Boulevard”, held within the framework of the “Summer in Moscow” project, in Gorky Park with the support of the Moscow Department of Culture. This is an annual multi-genre arts festival under the direction of People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Bezrukov. This year it will once again take place in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
A musical fairy tale will be shown on the large open-air stage at Pushkinskaya Embankment “The Little Prince” with Sergey Bezrukov in the leading role. For the first time in a long while, the artist, who is both the director and the leading actor, will perform this production in Moscow. Usually, he only takes this role on stage in the regions as part of the “Echo of BDF” program. The free screening with this unique cast will be a gift for the audience of the “Theatrical Boulevard”.
The fairy tale-parable by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry “The Little Prince” remains popular with readers of all ages. Children are touched by the story of travels, love, and friendship, while adults appreciate its philosophical depth. The musical accompaniment of the performance will consist of compositions by French composers performed by the orchestra of the Moscow Provincial Theater under the direction of Sergey Pashchenko. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s drawings and video installations will complement the production.
“For the Big Children’s Festival, it is a great joy and honor to open at the ‘Theatrical Boulevard’ in Gorky Park. We have long and fruitful cooperation with the Moscow Department of Culture — many performances take place at venues managed by the city. But today’s event is a new level of this synergy. We are coming to the audience in the heart of the capital to give them a celebration. Our ‘Little Prince’ is an invitation to a world where art unites both adults and children. I am especially glad that we will meet the Moscow audience again with the orchestra on an open-air stage. I am confident that the tandem of BDF and ‘Theatrical Boulevard’ will not only give city residents bright emotions but also strengthen the connection between art and the audience, showing: culture begins here and now, and its main heroes are the people we work for. The opening is just a preview. In its full scale, the BDF will unfold from September to November. We will show in Moscow the best that has been created for children in Russia,” said Sergey Bezrukov.
After the play “The Little Prince,” a large-scale program was prepared for guests at Gorky Park. Events will take place at several venues. Thus, within the framework of the “BDF workshops,” open master classes on acting, stage speech, and movement will be held, organized by leading teachers of the Big Children’s Festival, who work with both children and professional actors.
In the ‘BDF Book’ segment, meetings with leading contemporary writers, authors of works for children and teenagers, are planned. In addition, viewers will be able to see a performance “Chuk and Gek” Krasnoyarsk Musical Theater — a participant in the competitive program of the IX Grand Children’s Festival. The performance will take place on the stage on Pushkin Embankment. And within the framework of the program of the “BDF Kino” direction, screenings for family viewing will be held.
The opening of the Grand Children’s Festival on the “Theatre Boulevard” will mark the beginning of a three-month marathon of children’s art. Until November 17, the festival program in Moscow and Saint Petersburg will continue with film screenings, literary meetings, creative intensives, and other events.
The large children’s festival has been held since 2018. It is included in the national project “Family” and is held within the framework of the federal party project “Culture of the Small Homeland” with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The idea of the event is to gather the best that has been created for children and teenagers in various genres of performative art. Laureates are annually chosen by an independent children’s jury.
In 2026, the partners of the Grand Children’s Festival were Department of Culture of the City of Moscow, the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation and the All-Russian Arlekin Prize. The festival became a platform for the Arlekin prize jury’s work — the Arlekin experts will select laureates in several categories among the participants of the BDF competition program. Cooperation with leading professional institutions confirms the high status of the festival and its importance for the country’s theatrical community. The IX Grand Children’s Festival is held in the year of the 150th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation, which gives it special significance.
The International Open Festival “Theatrical Boulevard” has been held in Moscow since 2024. Leading capital theaters, groups from regions of Russia and other countries perform on open stages in parks and boulevards, presenting productions of various genres—from classical dramatic plays, opera, ballet to experimental forms and street performances.
“Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season, which has already become a good tradition and an integral part of the capital’s life. The main theme this year is “Time to be together.” The project brings together people of different generations around shared values, allowing them to grow closer not only with their relatives but also with the entire city during walks, cultural and sports events, charity campaigns, and also right near their homes in all districts of the capital.
A large-scale project has appeared on the mos.ru portal special project, dedicated to the development of key areas of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over the past years, which initiatives aimed at making residents’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future.
On the project’s page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” it is possible to learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital. More details about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
Moscow is the cultural center of the country and ranks among the leading megacities in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. A film cluster has been established in the city, uniting the MosKino film factory on Ryazansky Avenue, the Gorky Film Studio, and the MosKino film park.
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