Max Barskih - poster and tickets 2026

Max Barskih (Mykola Bortnyk): concerts, schedule and tickets

From the TicketsBox editorial team

Max Barskih concert tickets are in the catalogue above. Official prices, no markups. The schedule updates as organisers add new dates. The headline event of 2026 is OPEN AIR FEST, an all-Ukraine summer tour in stadium format covering 20 cities from late June through September.

Biography

His passport name is Mykola Mykolayovych Bortnyk. He has been onstage for over fifteen years working as Max Barskih. The style is pop with electronics, an aesthetic borrowed from the 1980s, and a strong choreographic component. He writes his own music and lyrics. Born on 8 March 1990 in Kherson.

Childhood was not easy. His father had problems with alcohol and behaved aggressively. The artist later spoke about the period openly, without softening it. Reconciliation came over time: in 2021 Barskih invited his father into the music video for Fevral, a public marker of the peace they made. The father died in February 2018.

The creative streak in Mykola first showed up through visual art. In Kherson he graduated from the Tavria Lyceum of Arts as a painter. After the lyceum he moved to Kyiv. He enrolled at the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, majoring in pop vocal performance. He wrote his first song at thirteen. Music and show business were not part of the family profession. He was the first to take that path.

Fabryka Zirok and the breakthrough

2008. The casting for the second season of Fabryka Zirok (the Star Factory) on Novyi Kanal, produced by Natalya Mohylevska. Barskih made it through. On stage he performed his own songs Anomaliia and Neznakomka, which went on to radio and television rotation. The project turned out to be difficult for him for personal reasons, and Mykola left before the final. He focused on a solo career instead.

2009-2010 brought the debut album 1 BARSKIH. The hits from it were Ahonia and Sertse Bietsia. In 2010 the artist won the MTV Europe Music Awards in the Best Ukrainian Act category. That was the first time a Ukrainian pop performer of his generation took it. The same year a second album, Z.D.E.S., came out. The video director Alan Badoiev took notice of the young performer and from 2011 onward became his producer.

In 2011 Badoiev shot the first 3D music video in the post-Soviet space for Barskih, on the song Lost In Love. The single Atoms followed the same year. In February 2012 the artist competed in the Eurovision national selection with the song Dance. He scored 38 points and finished second. The winner was Gaitana with 41 points. May 2012 brought the album Z.Dance, alongside a horror musical of the same name, often described as the most expensive production of its kind in Ukraine.

From there releases came steadily. 2013 was the year of the video album Po Freudu, made up of four parts. One of them was Nebo, the artist's first Ukrainian-language track. In 2014 the studio album Po Freudu was released. The same year brought the Ukrainian-language Kolyskova and the music video for Vse Sieriozno. In 2015 the M1 Music Awards named the artist Singer of the Year. Podruha-Noch (2015) went onto the album Tumany in 2016, still considered the most popular release in his discography.

The shift in position after 2022

Until 2022 a significant share of Barskih's audience was in Russia. He performed in Moscow venues and was a winner of Russian awards (Khrustalnyi Mikrofon, Zolotoy Grammofon, MUZ-TV, RU.TV). After 24 February 2022 the position became clearly defined and publicly documented.

On 2 April 2022 Barskih announced that he had joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a reservist. At the same time he banned the use of his music in Russia and terminated all contracts with Russian companies and platforms. The shift to Ukrainian-language material had started earlier (the first Ukrainian tracks date back to 2013), but after 2022 it became a systematic course, no exceptions.

The concert schedule reoriented entirely toward Ukraine. In 2025 the major show Zorepad. Na Bis ran at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv with 10, 000 attendees. Before that there was a Christmas Tour with sold-out dates in several cities. Separately the artist runs charity performances in support of the Armed Forces and plays for military audiences. The Instagram following exceeds one million.

Discography

To date Max Barskih has released seven studio albums plus a video album, compilations and dozens of singles.

Studio albums

Key songs

From the early years: Anomaliia, Neznakomka, Ahonia, Sertse Bietsia. 2011 brought Lost In Love and Atoms. From there the strong run continues with Student, Tumany, Podruha-Noch, Nezemnaya, Zaymemsia Liubovyu, Lei, Ne Zhalei, Fevral. The Ukrainian-language layer covers Nebo, Kolyskova, Vse Sieriozno, plus newer releases. The English-language track Silence picked up rotation in Europe and the US. After 2022 the material is largely Ukrainian-language, with new entries including Zrobi Holosnishe and Napivrozdiagneni.

Concert activity and OPEN AIR FEST 2026

2026 starts with the loudest move yet. The project is called OPEN AIR FEST. It is a full festival format: open-air location, festival infrastructure, DJ sets and guest artists across the day, with the headliner show in the evening. The tour covers 20 cities in Ukraine from late June through September. According to the organisers, this is the first all-Ukraine stadium tour during the full-scale war. Within the first hour after sales opened, more than a thousand tickets had been claimed.

Several dates are already on the books. 22 May 2026 in Dnipro at the Lavyna Park, performing as part of the Pokolinnia festival (tickets from 800 UAH on early sales, 1000 UAH after). 23 August 2026 in Kyiv at Osocor Residence, in open-air format. 29 August 2026 in Kalush at the Khimik stadium, tickets from 990 UAH, the closing act of the summer leg. Other cities are added to the catalogue as they are confirmed. In most locations the starting price is 1299 UAH. The current listing is available in the catalogue of concerts in Kyiv and other regions.

What to expect at the show

A Max Barskih concert is more than a hits playlist. The programme is built as a pop show with stage design, choreography and visuals. Onstage: the artist himself plus a dance team. The sound is live, with minimum playback. The setlist is usually a mix: the early hits from Tumany, the newer Ukrainian-language tracks, the English-language releases. Between songs the artist talks to the audience directly. Since the war began that part of the show has become noticeably more substantial.

The open-air format adds infrastructure to the picture. The daytime slot includes DJ sets, performances by guest acts and a festival zone. The headline show runs in the evening, usually around two hours plus encores. At night shows the visuals come into their own, with lighting, scenography and video walls doing the heavy lifting. In Kyiv the Osocor Residence setup includes a shelter and a generator on site, which under wartime conditions has become a baseline for major venues.

Aesthetic and style

Barskih's stage presentation is recognisable on first glance. It blends current pop sound with elements of the 1980s: synthesisers, rhythms, the visual language of that decade carried into the videos and concert costumes. He writes the lyrics himself, and parts of his catalogue sit on an electronic base with alternative-rock elements. Choreography and stage work form a separate layer, on the same level as the sound. That is why the concerts are framed as full shows rather than standard pop performances.

Awards and recognition

The full list of awards is long. The headline points are gathered into the table below.

One separate item is film. In 2010 Barskih made his acting debut in the Lara Fabian musical film Mademoiselle Zhivago, which reached cinemas in 2013. He did not pursue an acting career further, but the experience added confidence to his work with stage personae. Another marker: in 2024-2025 lyrics from Barskih's songs, alongside lines by Artem Pivovarov, were included in Ukrainian school textbooks.

How to buy a Max Barskih ticket

The flow goes like this. From the catalogue above pick the concert you want. Click Buy ticket and the venue map opens. Mark your seats, pay by card. Nothing else needed: the PDF ticket with a QR code arrives in your inbox within five minutes or so. At the door you show it from your phone. Printing is not required.

TicketsBox sells tickets to concerts in Ukraine at official organiser prices. There are no hidden fees. Barskih shows tend to sell out quickly, especially in Kyiv and Dnipro. The starting price for OPEN AIR FEST 2026 dates is around 1299 UAH in most cities. If your eye is on a particular location, better not put it off.

FAQ

Where can I find the Max Barskih concert schedule?

Right here, in the catalogue above. Upcoming events come highlighted with a Buy ticket button, and past ones are marked Event ended. The catalogue updates as organisers add new OPEN AIR FEST 2026 dates and standalone shows. For larger Barskih shows tickets tend to move fast, so if you have a specific month in mind, it pays off to check ahead.

How much do Max Barskih tickets cost?

Depends on the city and the format. For the summer OPEN AIR FEST 2026, the starting price is 1299 UAH in most cities. In Kalush on 29 August tickets started at 990 UAH. At the Pokolinnia festival in Dnipro on 22 May the early-sales price was 800 UAH (1000 UAH after). The exact figure for any specific date is always on the event card directly in the catalogue above.

Who is Max Barskih?

The stage brand of Mykola Mykolayovych Bortnyk. A Ukrainian singer, composer and songwriter, originally from Kherson (born 8 March 1990). On stage for more than 15 years. A contestant on Fabryka Zirok 2 in 2008 and the winner of MTV Europe Music Awards 2010 as Best Ukrainian Act. Seven studio albums. Since 2 April 2022 a reservist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Banned the use of his music in Russia after the start of the full-scale invasion.

What are Max Barskih's most famous songs?

The standard list covers Tumany, Podruha-Noch, Nezemnaya, Student, Fevral, Zaymemsia Liubovyu, Lei Ne Zhalei. From the early stretch people often bring up Lost In Love, Atoms, Ahonia. The English-language Silence picked up European rotation. The Ukrainian-language layer: Nebo (the artist's first Ukrainian track), Kolyskova, plus the post-2022 catalogue. Recent releases include Zrobi Holosnishe and Napivrozdiagneni.

How many albums does Max Barskih have?

Seven studio releases. In chronological order: 1 BARSKIH (2010, debut), Z.D.E.S. (2010), Z.Dance (2012), Po Freudu (2014), Tumany (2016, the most popular), 7 (2019), 1990 (2020). Separately there is the Po Freudu video album from 2013 with four parts, plus compilations. On top of that, dozens of singles and collaborations, a portion of them released after 2022 as Ukrainian-language material.

Where do Max Barskih concerts take place in 2026?

Summer 2026 means OPEN AIR FEST in 20 Ukrainian cities. The confirmed locations include Dnipro (Lavyna Park, 22 May, the Pokolinnia festival), Kyiv (Osocor Residence, 23 August) and Kalush (Khimik stadium, 29 August). Other cities are added to the catalogue gradually. Standalone concerts can also take place at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv and at regional capitals. The address for any specific event is on the event card in the catalogue above.

Does Max Barskih perform in Russia?

No. After 24 February 2022 Max Barskih officially banned the use of his music in Russia and terminated all contracts with Russian companies and platforms. On 2 April 2022 he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a reservist. The current concert schedule sits entirely in Ukraine, plus separate dates abroad for the Ukrainian diaspora.

Can I get a refund on a Max Barskih ticket?

Depends on the situation. The details are always written into the description of each event in the catalogue. The simple case is when the concert is cancelled or rescheduled by the organisers. The money goes back to the same card automatically, no claim or call needed. Things get trickier with anything else: a change of plans, a booking error, that sort of thing. Those situations are handled individually through TicketsBox support. Their contacts are on the website.