ZHARA Festival: How to Stop Being a City Dweller for Three Days

“ZHARA” is a festival where a tent and a campfire remind us how humans lived for millions of years

We live in concrete boxes, commute to work in metal boxes, and at night stare into the plastic boxes of our phones instead of looking at the stars. Yet for nearly all of humanity’s existence — except for only the last few thousand years — people fell asleep under the open sky, woke to birdsong, and danced to the rhythm of drums.

That longing for such a life has never disappeared. It has simply been buried deep beneath mortgages, deadlines, and phone notifications. And that is why, at least once in a while, each of us needs to climb out of the concrete hive and spend a few days the way our ancestors did: by a fire, beneath the stars, surrounded by people who came for exactly the same reason.

Once a year, ZHARA gives us that opportunity — a festival held roughly halfway between Ottawa and Toronto, in a peaceful lakeside setting where people can finally relax and feel connected with nature and with one another.

The fifth annual ZHARA Festival took place from July 3 to 5, 2026, at Stoco Lake Lodge, near the town of Tweed, Ontario. A lake, forest, and spacious clearings make the site feel as though it were created specifically for three days away from the noise of the city.

This year, hundreds of people came from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston, and even the United States. The drive from Ottawa takes several hours, but as soon as you approach Stoco Lake Lodge, you realize that everyday life has been left somewhere far behind.

Instead of traffic jams and work calls, there are tents, guitars, laughter, familiar faces, and music coming from the stage. Many people see one another only here, once a year, so reunions at the festival often feel like a large family gathering.

I come here every year and watch the festival grow and improve. A few years ago, it was essentially a large outdoor concert with tents and campfires. Today, ZHARA has become a significant cultural event where music exists alongside art, sports, dance, and workshops, and everyone can create their own weekend program.

Music from Morning Until Almost Morning

Live music remains at the heart of ZHARA.

Performers followed one another on several stages throughout almost the entire day. As evening approached, the concerts became louder and more emotional, and after the official performances ended, the music simply moved toward the tents and campfires.

Someone would inevitably pull out a guitar, listeners would gather around, and the songs would continue well past midnight.

The range of musical styles grows broader every year: Russian rock, blues, art rock, singer-songwriter music, hits from several generations, and unexpected cover versions.

The ZHARA 2026 stages featured BEAT Happens, LostBerries, Volkodrom, Hill Billy Creek, Anasthesia, DVD, Navigator, Artyshok, Khochu Poni, Derev, R Rated, and many other bands — too many names to remember them all.

Anastasia’s covers of Zemfira songs drew a particularly large audience. People recognized the songs from the very first chords and sang along across the entire field.

Musicians overcome both distance and logistical challenges to take part in the festival. Some bands prepare their programs while members live in different cities and rehearse by video call. One guitarist even travelled from Boston to perform.

Ottawa Band BEAT Happens Makes Its ZHARA Debut

For residents of our city, one of the festival highlights was the performance by Ottawa band BEAT Happens.

The group is led by vocalist and founder Regina Teplitskaya. The audience welcomed our musicians so warmly that after the first few songs it was already clear: the debut was a success.

Regina connected with the audience instantly, while the band delivered exactly the kind of energy people travel to summer festivals to experience.

The audience danced, sang along, and sent the musicians off with long applause.

BEAT Happens did more than simply represent Ottawa well — the group became one of the festival’s discoveries.

Performances like this remind us just how talented Ottawa’s Russian-speaking musical community is. We truly have something to show audiences from Toronto and Montreal.

A Festival Where It Is Impossible to Be Bored

While sound equipment was being prepared onstage, life was buzzing across the entire Stoco Lake Lodge property.

During the day, the lake became the main attraction: swimming, boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.

A mobile sauna was also available, and after a hot sauna session, diving into the cool lake felt especially refreshing.

Sports games, yoga, and dance workshops took place on the fields. Participants learned bachata, while sirtaki was eventually danced by almost the entire festival.

One unexpected success was laughter therapy. Many people joined simply out of curiosity and left feeling as though their abdominal muscles had received a full workout.

Other workshops ranged from creative activities to body-oriented practices.

Saturday’s biggest adventure was the Zukaland “Olympus at ZHARA” program.

A costumed Toga Party brought dozens of ancient Romans to the field — complete with togas, laurel wreaths, and golden sandals.

Next came the humorous “Games of the Gods” and a foam party.

Once again, the organizers managed to create a place where adults could forget about their job titles and social status for a few hours and laugh as freely as though they were back at summer camp.

The group sirtaki was especially spectacular.

At first, only the bravest participants stepped into the circle. Then more and more people joined them, and within minutes, almost the entire square was dancing.

Moments like these cannot be scripted. They are born from the shared atmosphere and stay in memory longer than almost anything else.

Food was another important part of the celebration.

The smell of shashlik drifted across the entire festival grounds, catering was available, and new groups of people constantly formed around the tables.

Meeting someone at ZHARA could not be easier. Ask who is currently playing onstage, and five minutes later you may already be discussing music, immigration, and plans for next year.

The organizers also made sure families with children were included.

Creative activities, games, and sports were organized for children, allowing parents to enjoy the concerts without worry.

A Night Lit by Flames

The most impressive spectacle of Saturday evening was the fire show by Stas the Magnificent.

After darkness fell, the festival grounds were transformed: music, the night sky, and fire reflected in the eyes of the audience.

The performance combined circus artistry, choreography, and work with flame.

Fiery patterns appeared in the darkness and vanished almost instantly, replaced by new ones.

At one moment, it seemed as though the Firebird — the symbol of the festival — had truly come to life and flown across the clearing.

The audience stood in a tight circle, yet during the performance it became remarkably quiet. Everyone was afraid of missing a single trick.

This was perhaps the most vivid visual memory of this year’s ZHARA — bold, energetic, and slightly magical, just like the festival itself.

A Place of Trust

But the most important quality of ZHARA cannot be found in the schedule or on the poster.

It is a special kind of relationship between people.

Here, people easily ask one another for help, share tent pegs and food, help carry bags, and search for missing friends.

In a large city, we become accustomed to keeping our distance.

At the festival, that invisible wall disappears within just a few hours. A person you first meet near the stage in the morning may be sitting beside you around the campfire by evening.

“You leave physically tired, but somehow deeply rested inside.”

That is why ZHARA is more than a series of concerts.

It is three days of psychological renewal.

Dancing, the forest, the lake, songs, new friendships, and the freedom to be carefree restore your energy better than many ordinary weekends ever could.

Over five years, a genuine community has formed around the festival.

People come not only for the music, but also for those who understand and share this atmosphere.

The organizers have announced that the festival, in its familiar format and under its current name, may be reaching the end of a particular chapter.

But the Firebird is not saying goodbye.

A refreshed concept and new projects lie ahead.

Judging by how much ZHARA has grown over the past five years, this is not an ending, but the beginning of the next chapter.

From the Festival Stage to Ottawa

The continuation of our summer impressions awaits us this fall.

Toronto band Khochu Poni, which performed at ZHARA 2026, will come to Ottawa for the first time.

The concert will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Kanata.

It will not be a large concert hall, but rather an intimate house-concert setting: live music, close conversation with the performers, and the atmosphere of a gathering among friends.

The evening will be organized as a potluck, with guests bringing a dish, appetizer, or dessert to share.

After the main program, the traditional guitar circle will begin.

Perhaps this evening will become a small continuation of our summer ZHARA — only this time, closer to home.

Returning after three festival days, I once again caught myself thinking the same familiar thought:

A whole year until the next meeting is far too long.

But the wait is worth it.

The body remembers grass beneath your feet, campfire smoke, and the rhythm of a drum better than any stargazing app ever could.

Yuri Natchetoi