Guests of the International Festival of Youth (IFY – 2026) will be able to take part in activities within VK's interactive space and join its educational, sports, children's and music programs. Mail Media Projects has launched a Festival guide called "World Youth City," and VK's space will host the Zoomed In youth studio – through these projects, news about IFY – 2026's events and participants will reach audiences far beyond the Festival itself. VK is the general partner of the International Festival of Youth 2026, which will take place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17.
IFY – 2026 in VK's Digital Ecosystem
Mail Media Projects has launched a Festival guide called "World Youth City," featuring exclusive editorial content across eight areas: science, technology, sport, education, health, finance, style and news. Dzen (VK's content platform) has also launched a dedicated channel with news, articles, interviews and videos about IFY – 2026.
Starting September 13, VK's space at the IFY – 2026 will host the Zoomed In studio — a youth media hub where Festival speakers, bloggers and celebrity guests will discuss careers, creative work, social projects and personal development. Studio guests will include Maxim Dreval, General Director of the Russian Znanie Society; Egor Kvyatkovsky, General Director of the Rosatom’s International Network institution; Mikhail Khomich, Chief Strategist at VEB.RF; Yuliana Slashcheva, Chair of the Board of Directors of Soyuzmultfilm; Elizaveta Belyakova, Chair of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment; as well as other representatives of government ministries and agencies, business, culture, education, science and youth policy. Renowned comedians, comedy bloggers and participants of comedy shows will also take part, including Dmitry Pozov, Arseny Popov, Evgeny Chebatkov, Katya Tyurina, Liza Yushchuk, and Varvara Shcherbakova. Interviews will be published in the New Media School playlist on VK Video.
The Zoomed In youth editorial team will also produce news and event roundups, available in a dedicated section within Mail News.
Exhibition, Sports and Music Program
At the Festival, VK will set up a Space of Dreams – a tech-focused environment where IFY – 2026 participants can explore the company's services: VKontakte, MAX, Dzen, VK Video, VK Education, VK Play, Mail and others. At MAX-branded locations, participants will be able to create a digital mascot, leave a message for other Festival participants through a chatbot, and take part in the Explore the World with MAX interactive activity. Guests will also have access to an outdoor sports zone, a VK Store shop featuring branded merchandise and a collection developed together with the Festival – "Follow Your Dream" – as well as educational and children's activities.
The VK’s Sports zone will operate at the IFY – 2026, featuring five interactive stations and a 3×3 basketball court. Guests can look forward to tournaments, master classes, and autograph sessions with star athletes and influencers. The program is being run jointly with the Basketball Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region and the KARDO street culture and sports competition and award.
VK Music will host a concert on the Festival's main stage, featuring a secret guest – an artist whose tracks have become some of the country's biggest hits. The concert will be hosted by renowned comedians and bloggers Evgeny Chebatkov and Ekaterina Tyurina. In the VK Records label's music segment, the Nizhny Novgorod band Gorkovskaya Metro Station will perform. Sound producer RITN, a participant in the label's Sound Camp music expedition, will also take the stage. The expedition will result in a multi-track release, a short documentary film on VK Video, and vertical videos on VK Clips.
The Festival's Digital Assistant and Online Activities on VKontakte
For participants and volunteers, VKontakte – the Festival's general digital partner – has developed an IFY – 2026 mini-app featuring a schedule, map, notifications, a Lost and Found, and a group chat. The service also includes a quest from Drugoe Delo (Another Thing): by completing tasks, participants can earn points and exchange them for prizes from VK. VKontakte users will be able to post Stories using themed templates, film and share VK Clips about their trip to the Festival with the hashtag #towardsIFY2026, and join a VK Steps challenge, walking a combined 1 million steps together with other Festival participants.
Lectures, Master Classes and Workshops with VK Experts
VK's educational lectures and master classes will focus on new media and modern forms of communication. These will include a workshop on monetizing content through shoppable posts with Maxim Zakharov, Director of VK AdBlogger; a session on writing universal content with Ivan Makarov, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Dzen; a discussion titled "From Blogging to Business," featuring VK Video Content Director Mitya Lyovin, VKontakte Marketing Director Nikita Nichkalyuk, and comedian Arseny Popov. The segment will close with a hands-on session with Oleg Luzin, lead product manager at VK Music, on how the service's recommendation system works. There will also be a session titled "Digital Platforms as a New Space for Spreading Russia's Cultural Code," featuring Dmitry Uvarov, Director of Strategic Partnerships at VK.
"The International Festival of Youth is designed as an open space for genuine communication and the exchange of ideas among young people from different countries. VK's services will make it easier for participants to find like-minded people, form interest-based groups, and stay in touch throughout the Festival and after it ends," noted Dmitry Uvarov, Director of Strategic Partnerships at VK.
VK is the general partner of the International Festival of Youth – 2026, which will take place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17 under the motto "Follow Your Dream," bringing together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries. The Festival's general digital partner is VKontakte. The main media partners are VK Video, Mail News, Dzen, and New Media School, with VK Music as the main music partner. Updates and announcements about the International Festival of Youth – 2026 can be followed in the official VKontakte community and on the MAX channel.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
In line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.
The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future.