This December, the Ukrainian Association of Music Events (UAME) and its Music Saves Ukraine initiative will host the third edition of the Music Ambassadors Tour, taking place December 15–18, 2025. Designed as a powerful act of cultural diplomacy, the program brings leading members of the European music industry to Ukraine, giving them a firsthand understanding of how culture survives—and continues to thrive—during war.
The tour’s impact has grown significantly since its first two editions in 2022 and 2024, with past participants becoming outspoken advocates for Ukraine across festivals, conferences, and professional circles. Their voices have helped elevate Ukrainian culture globally, amplifying the stories of artists, educators, and communities rebuilding in the face of destruction.
During this year’s journey, the delegation will explore Kyiv, then travel to both the north and south of the country. Specific locations remain undisclosed for security reasons, but the intention is clear: to show the stark reality Ukrainian culture faces. Guests will witness sites where cultural institutions have been deliberately targeted, alongside areas where Ukrainians continue to protect, rebuild, and evolve their artistic identity.
In the south, participants will see the remains of destroyed music schools and cultural centers—places where future musicians and cultural leaders once learned and flourished. Many of these institutions still lack the infrastructure and instruments needed to continue their work. Yet alongside the devastation, visitors will also see how UAME | Music Saves Ukraine, supported by ambassadors from previous tours, has been helping schools reopen, equipping them with new tools and materials, and offering renewed hope to teachers and young students who refuse to abandon their craft.
The north offers a different kind of story: one of preservation and revival. Guests will meet instrument makers, cultural practitioners, and archivists working to safeguard Ukrainian musical traditions—treating them not as relics, but as living forms of identity that persist even in wartime.
The tour concludes with a networking event in Kyiv, bringing together participants and members of Ukraine’s cultural community. Through discussions and shared reflections, the event will explore how international collaboration can strengthen the rebuilding of Ukraine’s cultural landscape.
This year’s lineup includes representatives from major festivals, agencies, and institutions across Europe and beyond. Confirmed participants include:
- Vaidas Stackevičius (Lithuania) — CEO, M.P.3 Group; Co-founder, Lithuanian Music Business Association
- Ivan Milivojev (Serbia) — Co-founder, EXIT Festival; Exchange Ambassador, Eurosonic Noorderslag
- Pavla Slívová (Czech Republic) — Head of Booking, Colours of Ostrava
- Mikko Niemelä (Finland) — CEO, Ruisrock Festival
- Maiju Talvisto (Finland) — Executive Director, Our Festival; Co-director, shesaid.so Finland
- Kristīne Kleina (Latvia) — Founder, Deep Fried Agency
- Robbie Tolson (Scotland) — Social entrepreneur, DJ, Founder of Turn The Tables
- Winston Tifferson (Trinidad & Tobago) — Trustee, Turn The Tables; HR/People Partner; DJ
The list will continue to expand as additional participants confirm.
The Music Ambassadors Tour was created to replace distant narratives with real-world encounters—situations that reveal how war threatens culture, and how culture, in return, refuses to disappear. Each edition includes the production of a documentary following the journey, allowing viewers around the world to experience the tour’s impact and stories.
“We do not want to simply talk about the war. We want the international community to see how war destroys culture—and how, despite everything, culture defies it and continues to resist,” shares the UAME team. “This immersive journey makes our guests more than just witnesses; it turns them into real ambassadors of Ukraine.”
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Beyond the tour itself, the initiative has already inspired long-term, tangible results. Thanks to relationships formed during past editions, UAME has become involved in updating music education across the country. Through Music Saves Ukraine, music schools have received new instruments and educational resources—much of this made possible through the Swiss foundation Culture & Education for Life, founded by 2024 tour ambassador Christof Huber after his experience in Ukraine.
What began as a one-time effort has evolved into a sustained international movement, one that not only documents the challenges facing Ukrainian culture but actively contributes to rebuilding it. The Music Ambassadors Tour 2025 marks another essential step toward shaping the future of Ukraine’s cultural identity.