Music

Classical music in a not-so-classical setting: this Saturday, August 4 at 4 pm, St. Petersburg will celebrate its first and one of the most iconic architects, Domenico Trezzini. The event will take place in the majestic Summer Garden, which will give its floor to Coriandolo, a choir hailing from Trezzini’s birthplace, the Swiss Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Сoncert’s repertoire will consist of authentic Italian Renaissance music and folk songs with a modern twist. Entrance is free.

You can continue ravin’ it up on Sunday August 5 with the Bridges blues music festival, which will be held at the Sevkabel Port creative space, located on the picturesque coast of the Gulf of Finland. Headliners include blues legends Bob Margolin and Welch Ledbetter Connection, as well as the up-and-coming Russian virtuosos The Jumping Cats, SPB Ramblers, and Folkline, who will lock horns (or rather, guitars) with other bands in the Battle of the Bands.

Groovy blues tunes aren’t the only thing you’ll be able to savor: the festival will also garner the crème de la crème of the St. Petersburg foodie scene. So eat up and have a mosey around the vinyl fair to buy yourself a little something-something that will remind you of this wonderful summer’s day come winter.

The event will start at 1 pm. Tickets are cheaper if bought in advance (1200 RUB instead of the on-the-day price of 1500 RUB) and include one meal or drink free of charge.

Cinema & Theater

This August, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a snazzy cinematic fete in honor of its tenth anniversary. Held on the New Holland island, the Garage Screen Film Festival aims to give its spectators both entertainment and some food for thought, displaying an array of essay-like movie reflections on modern art, culture, and society. This weekend’s program includes Saturday’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, in which a story about the Gold Rush is intertwined with the history of cinematography, and Sunday’s Austerlitz, a documentary chronicle on how the Nazi concentration camps are being turned into museums in order to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. Films are shown on New Holland’s big screen starting at 8 pm. Admission is free.

And while you’re there, check out the spanking new (and may we say, very instagrammable) art objects created by Russian artists Sasha Frolova and Ivan Gorshkov. The former will even use her inflatable giant ice-cream sculpture in a performance combining electro-pop, 8bit and disco-house music with Japanese anime and ballet vibes. The only downside is that this neon hullabaloo will happen on Tuesday, August 7 – boo to the organizers. But if you’re up for some Monday blues damage control, head to New Holland’s linden alley at 8 pm. We’re sure that it’ll give you a nice boost for the working week ahead!

Attention to all theater aficionados: the beginning of August marks the start of a one-month thespian extravaganza held by TheatreHD, a British theater company that brings the best of British and international theater to Russian cinemas. On Saturday, August 4, you will be plied with Twelfth Night, the mother of all romcoms performed in an iconic Globe Theatre production starring Stephen Fry and Mark Rylance. In keeping with the Shakespearean tradition, the show has an all-male cast and features music, costumes, and choreography that evoke The Globe in all of its 17th century glory. Hurry up to snatch yourself a place as the 600 RUB tickets often sell out faster than you can say ‘Shakespeare’. Broadcast starts at 4:40 pm in the Aurora movie theater.

St. Petersburg Fair

Always wondered what coconut honey would taste like? You’ll find the answer to this bee-guiling question at the St. Petersburg Fair, which is to be hosted on August 4-5 in one of St. Petersburg swankiest creative spaces, the Berthold Centre. Apart from being a foodie heaven, the event will abound with designer stationery, ceramics, jewelry, books, clothes and other locally-made goodness. You can also watch free theatrical performances, do some open-air yoga or get a mehendi tattoo. Admission is free.

Sports and recreation

Fancy some yacht-watching? For the third time in a row, St. Petersburg is hosting the qualification round of the European Sailing Champions League with 24 teams from 16 countries competing in an exhilarating water race for the honorable title of the Best sailing club of the year. To make the experience all the more comfortable (for the audience), a special fan zone will be set up on the Peter and Paul Fortress beach. Featuring a rope platform, sail simulators, and beach volleyball facilities, the Regatta Village will allow you to make the best of the games with no effort involved. Entrance is free.

For something no less sinewy, head to the St. Petersburg Harley Davidson Days. Held in Ostrovsky Square right in front of the landmark Alexandrinsky theater on August 2-5, this event will feature lots of cool bikes, atmospheric live music, and an impressive motorcade which will gather more than 3,000 bikers of all ages and origins parading the main St. Petersburg streets. The parade kicks off at 1 pm on August 4 on Palace Square, admission is free.