Lviv is an extremely attractive tourist area of Ukraine. It is a city of magnificent architectural landmarks: impressive temples and ancient squares, cozy narrow streets, museums and galleries housing artistic masterpieces of different historical epochs. Carefully preserving the historical heritage, citizens of Lviv always try to demonstrate their keeping-with-the-times. It was in Lviv where traditional celebration of the holidays has received the new format of various themed festivals.

The creative spirit of the carved in stones centuries’ mystery is as if invisibly breathing everywhere in Lviv. This city produces the majority of new art and modern culture trends in the country, as well as the ideas of various interesting entertainment. It’s no wonder that 50 different festivals are listed on the Lviv Calendar of Events for 2011.

According to the old beliefs, every uttered, written or otherwise manifested number has its magic power. Number '5' symbolizes strong energy, enthusiasm, discovery of new phenomena, progress, risk and passion for the unusual. Number '0' symbolizes trust, stability, confidence and the ability to implement ideas with an open heart. The symbolic digits of 50 Lviv festivals presuppose the combination of traditional artistic events and the initiation of new ones, thus creating a magic ornament of the Festival Lviv where you’re sure to find a vast array of different events to suit all tastes.

There’s so much happening in Lviv all year round. Whether you visit Lviv in the spring, summer, autumn or winter you will feel the atmosphere of a holiday! Enjoy your visit to the Festival Capital of Ukraine!

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January

Christmas Holidays in Lviv

Lviv has always cherished it’s traditional Ukrainian culture, that’s why the celebration of Christmas is very special here. All people in cherish ancient customs and very much enjoy new, but at the same time very traditional Ukrainian Christmas games and other entertainments.

In the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, a traditional festival “Christmas star shine” takes place (the 7th of January,Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life (Chernecha Hora st., 1), the 8th of January – the center of the city (Rynok square, Prospect Svobody, St. George Square).

This festival renews an ancient tradition: Ukrainians used to make big (1,5- 2  meters) Christmas stars, which are the main symbols of Christmas. Another traditional festival in Lviv is the called “A Great Carol” (January 7-30, 2012; 16, 23, 30 of January – the main concerts). This festival traditionally takes place in the St. Eucharist Church (Museina square, 3). In this year festival, special attention is paid to old Ukrainian customs, and carols in particular.

January 6-21, center of the city
Website: www.cultureandtourism.lviv.ua
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 235 48 82
+38 032 297 57 53
+38 032 254 60 79

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Doughnut Festival

Lviv welcomes guests from all over Ukraine to celebrate the main event of Christmas celebrations! Lviv Pampuh Festival Highlights:

• Vertep (Christmas Theater Performances) Contest. The Christmas performances changes over time, in essence, convey mystery of Christmas and still are one of the best element of the greatest Christian holiday. During three days of Pampukh Festival  everyone can see several Christmas performances and select the best for themselves.
• Housewife Christmas Contest. To participate in this contest are invited all housewives with an exclusive  recipe of  Christmas donut. On Pampukh Festival  everyone will have a chance to show culinary skills and bake the donuts outdoor at the backyard of Lviv Palace of arts.
• Pampukh-eater Contest. An interesting show, which involved people who like to enjoy Christmas donuts.

January 7-9, City Hall Courtyard (Rynok square 1)
www.pampuh.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235 77 88

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April

Pysanka Festival

III Pysanka (Easter eggs) Festival in Ukraine will fill the city with the atmosphere of Easter. This family event will glorify the millennia-old tradition of celebrating the brightest holiday in the Christian world.

The main idea of the festival is to promote the Easter traditions and decorating Lviv with the inherent symbol of Easter: eggs. During this period, Lviv will turn into an 'Open Air Museum of Eggs', where easter eggs will be created and decorated with different materials. More and more citizens and visitors are ready to go out and share the mood of celebration from their home to the city.

This year's Festival program have new attractions. The new event is 'Hunting for Eggs'. The mechanism is simple and interesting. In downtown venues will be hidden Easter eggs with more than two hundred easter eggs with codes. Youl need to find them and send the appropriate text message. Each SMS - an additional chance to win the grand prize! At Easter all eggs all be put on auction, and the money received will go to charity. In addition in the festival will be involved restaurateurs who will create original Easter dishes. They will be evaluated by the jury, which will consist of restaurant critics.

April 1-27, Central part of the city
www.pysanka.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235-77-88

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Easter in Lviv

Easter is a family holiday in Ukraine and Lviv is the best place to feel this atmosphere. It is only here that the family spirit is present in each temple, on every square and in each street where traditional Easter folklore celebrations, fairs, concerts and theater performances take place. Famous Ukrainian Easter eggs, embroidery, ceramics, decorations, woodcarvings attract the guests to the Easter Markets.

Festyny 'Great Hayivka' 

Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life annually hosts the ethnographic festival 'The Great Hayivka' where Lviv citizens and visitors can learn about the traditions of the spring time of our region and directly take part in the Easter celebrations.

'The Great Hayivka' is a meeting point for families, old friends and everybody who consider themselves citizens or guests of Lviv. 

Festival visitors will find master classes on pysankas crafting and traditional Easter amusements for children and adults. Among them ‘Kryvyi Tanets’ (continuous dance, which takes place on the central lawn of the museum), contest 'Pysanka for the beloved', authentic dance workshop, amusements ‘Swing’. Throughout the day, on the main stage you will hear spring songs and hayivkas (special songs, which people sing only in this period); also you can take part in lots of competitions, entertainments and auction of pysanka. Guests can expect performances of folk and dance groups and singers. Little guests will be enabled to attend glade ‘Willow seals’, where children can play and have fun all day, learning folk customs and traditions

Easter Fair 

The ‘Easter Fair’, which takes place on the Svobody Avenue (central avenue), has already become traditional during the holidays in Lviv.

Residents and visitors of the city will be able to buy various items - handmade souvenirs, Easter symbols, honey and wax products, household-decorative items. Sweet tooth can also pamper themselves with various goodies. In addition, the organizers are preparing a series of interesting master classes on making pysankas, traditional dolls and other essential elements of Ukrainian culture.

April 20, the city center, The Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life (1, Chernecha Hora Street)
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 243 78 23
+38 032 247 03 81

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May

Lviv City Day, Parade-Carnival

“Where else is fine as here?” Annually this question gets the same answer: “Only in Lviv”, at the time of the City Day celebrations. It is a holiday of great entertainment traditions: impressive street theater performances, concerts and festivals. Holiday events include performances of jazz, world music, rock and pop, dance, comedy, film premières and award ceremonies to fit any taste.

Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy thousands of participants of the Great Street Parade-Carnival. Among them: children amateur groups, armored knights, walking on stilts actors, carriages with angels, city sightseeing car-train called 'A Miracle Train' bringing disable children to the holiday, members of youth and sport organizations, folk dance ensembles, representatives of national minorities and public organizations... All the parade is singing, dancing and performing. Everybody is welcome to participate! This colorful festive action unites the citizens of Lviv and guests every year.

May 3-4, Central part of the city
www.cultureandtourism.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235 48 82

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Flugery L’vova (Weather-Vanes of Lviv) – International Jazz Festival

The 9th Ethno-jazz festival 'Flugery Lvova' is the most exquisite and extraordinary event in the city. And as usual the event is happening in the very heart of Lviv - in the City Hall Courtyard.

Year after year, it is expanding and the amount of its participants – ethno and jazz bands is growing. Also there are different media and literary projects within the festival. A morning concert has already become a tradition of the festival.

For three days, the Festival welcomes world-class musicians in Lviv, presenting international stars and fresh new talents from the Ukraine’s own burgeoning scene. Every year, this free event enables a huge number of people to enjoy an outstanding selection of jazz music and have a good time in a good company.

May 3 - 4, Rynok Square (City Hall Courtyard)
www.dzyga.com.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 244 47 78

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Lviv Fashion Week

It has become a tradition in Lviv to host Fashion Weeks in the spring and fall each year. For three days, you will be appraising up to forty collections of Ukrainian and foreign designers. Fashion-shows are followed by exhibitions of contemporary art – paintings, drawings, photography, thus creating the overall special artistic atmosphere of the events.

7 –  11 May, Lviv National Airport
www.lvivfashionweek.com
Tel. number: +38 032 243 39 27

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Lviv International Children's Festival

The festival brings together all kind of arts - literary, visual, arts and crafts, song, dance, theater - and invites you to dive into the fascinating and exciting world of childhood. For five days - more than 500 interesting and colorful activities for children and their parents. 
Traditional in the program are: children's reading festival 'Bibliophilia' costume parade participants, action 'Book of Stars', book quiz 'Take and read!', children's books fair 'Forum – to children!'.

May 16-18
www.bookforum.com.ua

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International Musical Festival 'Virtuosi'

The 'Virtuosi' (Virtuosos) festival is a popular three-week summer season of daily classical music concerts. The event was founded in 1882, and now each season consists of over 30 concerts of well-known musicians and orchestras. It is a period when many musical stars, winners of prestigious international contests, gather in Lviv to perform! The 'Virtuosi' festival time in Lviv is paradise for opera and classical music lovers!

15 May - 8 June
Lviv Regional Philharmonic Society Concert Hall
7 Tchaikovsky Street
www.philharmonia.lviv.ua
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 272 10 42 (box office)
+38 032 272 67 25
+38 097 700 83 58 (marketing department)

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June

Fairy-Tale in the Groove - theater festival for children

In front of the old village cottages and on the picturesque lawns the heroes of the fairy tales revive. Old Leo, Kind Fairy and Hayovyk (kind Wood Goblin) invite little kids to participate in the show. The 'Entertainment Glade' and 'Tale-Narrators’ Glade' are offering children funny games and meetings with the famous fairy tale narrators and fabulists. Join the game and feel yourself a child while visiting the museum!

May 31 - June 1
Air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life
1 Chernecha Hora Street
www.skansen.lviv.ua
Tel. number:
+38 032 243 78 23
+31 032 247 03 81

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Alfa Jazz Fest

Alfa Jazz Festival is a jazz festival of international scale, which is held in Lviv. The festival will bring together not only the best jazz musicians of the world. This festival will bring the city a wonderful summer weekend in the best traditions of European music events. A wave of jazz will cover the capital of Western Ukraine, will flood the highest weathervanes of the old city and dissolve all its guests in jazz cocktail of great music and unforgettable impressions. This summer, new traditions are being born – impressed by music and a number of activities, Lviv will make jazz its business card. Now Europe will start its summer festival marathon in the open air Lviv Alfa Jazz Fest.

12-15 June
Rynok Square/Kultury Park
http://alfajazzfest.com
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 235 77 88
+38 099 499 89 39

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Leopolis Grand Prix

Leopolis Grand Prix - an international festival of vintage cars, part of which is an international motor race on retro cars, car parade, open-air exhibition and theatrical costume contest of Elegance. The main event is a car race on historic road called 'Lviv triangle', where the first car race was held in 1930. Car makers will bring the history of their production to Lviv. The festival, in addition to racing offers baby car holiday, excursion and navigating quest, seminars for journalists. Competitions are held according to the rules of the International Federation of Historical Vehicles (FIVA) and is included in the official calendar of Automobile Federation of Ukraine (FAU). In 2011 the festival was attended by 74 teams, including 34 from abroad.

27-29 June
www.leopolis-grand-prix.com

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Organ Music Festival 'Diapason'

The 'Diapason' festival brings back the time, when Lviv was the organ music center. Lviv has got the richest organ music tradition in Ukraine. In old times, the city competed with such known capitals as Krakow, Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, and Vilnius. The 'Diapason' festival is an important step in the six hundred years of history of organ music development in Lviv. Famous organists and young performers from all over the world are coming to Lviv annually to fascinate audiences with their filigree technique and passionate emotions. Performers from Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France and other countries are invited to this year’s festival.

June - July
Lviv Organ and Chamber Music Hall
8 St. Bandera Street
www.organy.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 272 39 53

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July

Night in Lviv

Night tours have already became another tourist attractions of the city. Thus the cultural life of Lviv continues until the late of the night. Traditionally twice a year in July and November runs the promo event "Night Lviv." Around 100 night tours,theatrical performances, art performances in museums, theaters, galleries are held for visitors and residents. During the December tours the most popular night events were at the Italian courtyard: theatrical fire show of Pelagia and Mikelini love story, at the 'Arsenal' museum: reconstruction of medieval battles and masterclass on medieval dances, at the Palace of Bandinelli: poetic installation of works by B. Antonychand theatrical night tour in the city underground and a night tour to Lviv Lychakiv cemetery.

July 11-13
museums and galeries of Lviv
www.lviv.travel
Tel. number: +38 032 297 57 80

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LvivKlezFest

Klezmer Feast in Lviv (LvivKlezFest) is an international festival of Jewish music, song and dance. It is an attempt to revive the lost musical culture of Jews living in Galicia. Within three days of the festival, citizens of Lviv and guests have an opportunity to experience klezmer music, dances, singing and as well as consort with participants – famous groups, dance bands and family choirs from many cities and countries. During the main concert bands will sing not just in Yiddish, but also in different languages according to the participants: in Ukrainian, Hungarian, Moldavian, Russian, Polish, and German. Everyone present will have the chance to visit a typical 'Jewish square', to dance to Jewish folk music, to try their traditional food and to make hand-made souvenirs in special workshops.

July 18 - August 1
Square behind the City Arsenal (Former Jewish Quarter)
Staroyevreyska Street
www.hesed.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 (032) 238 98 61

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'Wiz-Art' International festival

It is a festival of short films produced during the previous year: fictional films and animations, video art, experimental movies and video artists’ presentations. The festival program consists of competition and out-of-competition blocks. The winners of the competition are determined by the panel of judges in the following categories 'Fiction Film', 'Animation', and 'Experimental Movie'. After each film show, the spectators vote for the category: winner of the audience award.

24-27 of July
Lviv Palace of Arts
17 Copernicus Street
www.wiz-art.com.ua
Tel. number: +38 063 628 67 73

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August

Independence Day

Independence Day is a special event in Lviv. On the eve of the holiday, the city’s pace changes. Everyone awaits the street performances, artistic events and the festive concert. Wearing embroidered national shirts on the Independence Day became a tradition among citizens of Lviv. Already in the morning, the city starts flourishing with the colors of national costumes, which symbolize the prosperity and welfare of Ukrainians.

21-24 of August
Center of the city, city squares, concert halls
www.cultureandtourism.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235 48 82

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Week of Contemporary Art

The 'Week of Contemporary Art' lights up the problems of modern art, demonstrating its ways of development and new artistic language of communication with the society. Different kinds of artistic performances and installations, new media art and experimental electronic music, film shows and discussions, lectures and master classes are on the list of the rich program for specialists and art lovers.

29 of August – 7 of September
Art Gallery 'Dzyga', 'The Jam Factory'
124 B. Khmelnytskyi Street, central part of the city
www.dzyga.com.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 244 47 78

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September

Lviv International Book Fair

Lviv International Book Fair (Lviv Publisher’s Forum) is the biggest in Ukraine and it is included into the Frankfurt Calendar of the World Largest International Book Fairs. The Publishers’ Forum program includes International Literary Festival, 'The Best Book of the Forum' competition, forum of librarians, business forum and book fair. All events will be traditionally held in different theaters, museums, galleries, libraries, and coffee shops. Forum is a great way to measure how successful Ukrainian publishers were during the year.

11-14 September
Lviv city and Lviv region
www.bookforum.com.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 276 41 52

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MediaDepo

MediaDepo is a project that covers contemporary art and digital technologies. Every year it demonstrates the best works of international media festivals – video art and artistic animation, short movies, hybrid interactive media, and experimental electronic music.

August
Public Space of Lviv
Central and Eastern Europe City History Centre
6 Bohomoltsya Street
www.mediadepo.org.ua, www.lvivcenter.org
Tel.number:
+38 067 416 19 62
+38 032 275 17 34

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Vereteno (Spindel) Authentic Art festival

'Vereteno' festival is a gathering of authentic groups from all regions of the Western Ukraine. They represent traditional folk art: very old songs, folk trio musicians’ performances, ritual ceremonies which recall the ancestors’ lifestyle. Classes of weaving, stove decorating and reeled doll making are very popular among children. Everyone who loves dancing is invited to the ancient authentic dance lessons. But the main idea of the festival is the demonstration of the art of Embroidery.

28 September
Open Air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life
1 Chernecha Hora Street
www.skansen.lviv.ua
Tel. number:
+38 032 243 78 23
+38 032 247 03 81

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Festival 'The World of Dolls'

This is a third festival of hand-made dolls and Teddy bears, which aims at the introducing of new techniques of dolls making and at the cooperation of professionals in this sphere. During the festival an unbelievable amount of dolls will be presented: from ethnic hand-made Ukrainian dolls to dolls made from all kinds of material, including ceramics, hay, wood, and glass. Visitors will be able to enjoy not just the exhibition itself, but also they will have a chance to learn the technique of doll making, to visit master classes, to watch documentary about this unusual art. And of course they could buy the doll they liked the most!

September, The Place of Arts
17 Copernicus Street
www.l-svit.com.ua
Tel. numbers:
+38 067 949 07 14
+38 067 340 02 46
+38 097 137 05 86

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City Holiday 'Have a Cup of Coffee in Lviv'

For the 7th time Lviv invites everyone for the cup of coffee! Special Lviv coffee has already become a symbol of the most romantic Ukrainian city. Tourists from all over the world visit Lviv to enjoy our unforgettable coffee and to get to know people in Lviv who are known as great coffee lovers and who know many secret recipes of this drink. This holiday of coffee has become for Lviv and its visitors a wonderful symbol of this gorgeous city in fall.

19-21  September
City Hall Courtyard
1 Rynok square
www.coffeefest.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 294 96 44

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'Golden Lion' International Theater Festival

'Golden Lion' Theater Festival is very popular not only in Lviv, but in the whole Eastern Europe. Every year Lviv turns into a huge theater stage for the popular performances, premiers and experimental works of the young directors. Street parades of the moving on the stilts actors and impressive fire show traditionally open the festival. This year visitors will have a chance to enjoy streets theaters from Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Ireland, France, Canada, Netherlands, Belarus, and Lithuania.

October 2014
'Resurrection' theater, central part of the city
www.voskresinnia.eu, www.golden-lion.com.ua
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 261 63 10
+38 032 297 53 96

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October

International Avant-Garde Music Festival 'Contrasts'

International Avant-Garde Music Festival “Contrasts” was founded in 1995. Every year the number of the well-known participants grows, thus attracting more and more public and journalists’ attention. The idea of the festival is to represent the variety of musical forms, styles, genres and interpretations emphasizing special, often contrast character of new music.

September 26 - October 12
Lviv Philharmonic Society Building
7 Tchaikovsky Street
www.philharmonia.lviv.ua
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 272 10 42 (box office)
+38 032 272 67 25
+38 097 700 83 58 (marketing department)

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Cheese & Wine Holiday

Why wine and cheese in Lviv? Documental evidence exists of wine-growing in the Lviv Region from the 17th century AD. The climate of Lviv was much warmer at that time so the southern hills of High Castle, the Lychakiv district, Keizerwald hills and Vynnyky suburbs were covered with vineyards producing more than one hundred barrels of wine annually. Monks and monasteries of the Roman Catholic Cheese & Wine Holiday are fantastic opportunities to learn Ukrainian traditions, to taste good wine and cheese in the open air, to visit fairs and folklore concerts, to enjoy animations and different competitions. Lviv is waiting for real gourmands!

October 20-24
Rynok Square
www.cheeseandwine.com.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235 77 88

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November

Night of museums in Lviv

Night tours have already became another tourist attractions of the city. Thus the cultural life of Lviv continues until the late of the night. Traditionally twice a year in July and November runs the promo event 'Night Lviv'. Around 30 night tours every night, theatrical performances, art performances in museums, theaters, galleries are held for visitors and residents. During the December tours the most popular night events were at the Italian courtyard - theatrical fire show of Pelagia and Mikelini love story, at the 'Arsenal' museum  - reconstruction of medieval battles and master class on medieval dances, at the Palace of Bandinelli - poetic installation of works by B. Antonych and theatrical night tour in the city underground and a night tour to Lviv Lychakiv cemetery.

November 15-17
museums and galeries of Lviv
Website: www.lviv.travel
Tel. number: +38 032 297 57 80

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'Drama UA' Festival of Modern Drama

'Drama UA' is the only festival of modern Ukrainian and foreign dramaturgy in Ukraine. The aim of the festival is to popularize drama as an interesting and up-to-date genre for many people, because the main character of many dramas is an ordinary person with his/her personal outlook, values and ideas. The main event of the festival is the discussions of the dramas. Theatrical performances of famous playwrights, lectures, and the best drama contest - these are only some events during the festival.  'Drama UA' unites famous Ukrainian and European playwrights as well as introduces new names of talented youth.

November 21-24
124 Bohdana Khmelnytskogo Street
www.drabyna.org/drama
Tel. number: +38 097 905 39 31

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Tourist Conference 'Win with Lion!'

The “Win with Lion” Tourist Conference will be held for the 3rd time in Lviv. Ukrainian and foreign travel business experts from Poland, Austria, Germany, and Great Britain took part in the first two conferences. Among the participants of the event there were specialists of the travel, restaurant and hotel industries, educational institutions and museums. Potential tourist products have been discussed at the presentations and round-table meetings. Lviv’s entry into European Cities Marketing Association and opportunities it creates were one of the main themes of the conference.

21-22 of November
The House of Scientists
6 Lystopadovoho Chynu Street
www.congress.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 297 57 53

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December

International festival 'Jazz Bez'

'Jazz Bez' is listed in the world's top jazz ratings. Every year it neglects physical borders and unites lovers of jazz all over the world. This year, the festival will bring the most amazing bands together, those that have already played in Lviv, as well as some new additions, and artists who are still exploring new horizons in jazz and similar musical styles.

04 -14 of December
Concerts halls of Lviv
www.dzyga.com
Tel. numbers:
+38 032 244 47 78
+38 095 260 03 27

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St. Nickolas Day

St. Nickolas Day lights up the Christmas season in Lviv, because it is when the official opening ceremony of the main Christmas tree takes place. Every year, on December 19th, tons of different performances, charity balls, and concerts for kids and youth are held. But not only....St. Nickolas brings a lot of fun and surprises for adults also...of course, only if they have been nice all year.

19 of December
Central Avenue in front of the Opera House
Museum of Folk Life and Rural Architecture
1 Chernecha Hora Street
www.сultureandtourism.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 032 235 48 82

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Lviv Christmas Fair

The Annual Christmas Fair is a center of celebration, which offers many interesting events: carols, games, sweets and mulled wine, a traditional Ukrainian meal “varenyky”, souvenirs and presents, and of course a warm festive atmosphere. For citizens of Lviv and visitors of the city there will be a great variety of goods: pysanky, traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, pottery, national Ukrainian clothing, and hand-made jewelry. A great Christmas atmosphere will be created with little wooden booths, which have become in Ukraine, as well as in Europe, the symbols of Christmas.

12 of December – 19 of January
prospect Svobody, Rynok Square
www.yarmarok.lviv.ua
Tel. number: +38 097 909 19 96

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(Source: http://lviv.travel/en)

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