Date of material: October 17, 2026

Preparing for the Tour

Band members said they prepared 250 badges for the first concert in Ukraine. Each badge is attached to a note typed on a typewriter. The first 250 people who come to the doors of the concert venue in Lviv will receive the notes. The note states that this is the band's first concert in Ukraine. The musicians said they had been waiting for this moment for a long time and are nervous about meeting their audience.

Lviv

The musicians called the concert in Lviv the most important performance in the band's entire history. According to them, preparing for the tour took many years.

One of the spectators said she had long dreamed of this concert. In her words, in current conditions, music is especially important for people. Music helps her distract herself from reality and find inner peace. She noted that at the concert she hoped to meet new people and become part of a community.

Night Train from Lviv to Kyiv

After the concert, the band left for Kyiv on a night train. The journey lasts about 7 hours. The participants noted the high level of comfort on Ukrzaliznytsia trains and called rail transport one of the most reliable modes of travel in the country.

During the trip, several notifications arrived about missile and drone attacks on Kyiv. According to the participants, when there is a threat of an attack, the train stops and waits for the alarm to end. The train came to a complete stop during the journey. A few minutes earlier, a message had come in about an explosion in Kyiv Oblast. According to notifications, several strikes on Kyiv were recorded within a short period of time. The participants noted that night attacks on the city are continuing.

Night Attack on Kyiv

The group arrived at the Kyiv train station. According to the participants, news channel journalists were waiting on the platform.

During the night, the tour participants experienced a missile attack on Kyiv. At around 1:30 a.m., an air raid alert sounded, and the group went down into a shelter. An explosion boomed shortly after the alert began. During the night, notifications came in about a ballistic threat from two directions and about a ballistic missile approaching Kyiv. Later, it was reported that three ballistic missiles had been launched toward Kyiv. One of the reports indicated the falling of objects. The participants noted that the missiles, according to available information, were also heading toward Odesa, while Kyiv was considered safe at that moment.

That night, friends of the Ukrainian musicians were messaging each other in a group chat and checking whether everyone was okay. According to the participants, such checks happen every night during attacks.

A Kyiv resident who has lived in the city for five years called the past night one of the hardest. He noted that the intensity of the explosions varies: sometimes the sounds are heard from afar, and sometimes the building shakes. In his words, during strong explosions a person loses the ability to think about the future and does not know what will happen two minutes from now. He said he has gotten used to the attacks, but every explosion feels like the first one.

The tour participants noted that the concert in Kyiv will take place 14 hours after the attack. One of the musicians said that during the attack he heard a distinctive sound resembling the operation of a drone. The group returned to the shelter because the threat remained.

Festival and Air Raid Alert

During the festival in Kyiv, an air raid alert sounded for the first time. The organizers said that there were alerts at last year's festival as well, but not every day. The air raid alert was lifted, after which the festival continued.

Impressions of the Participants

The musicians noted the warmth, hospitality, and care of Ukrainians. According to them, the contrast between the openness of the people and the conditions in which they live is the most striking thing. The participants said that during the tour they had come to love Ukraine and its people. They added that they feel heavy emotions because of the destruction and the constant threat.

According to the participants, most Ukrainians they spoke with give the same answer to the question about what is happening: there is no choice, you have to get used to it and keep living.

A dance teacher who worked with children before the war is now serving in the army. According to the participants, a sense of loss persists in the community because the war continues. Local residents strive to raise their children to be happy and successful.

Asked what feeling the audience should get at the concerts, the musicians answered: home, relaxation, safety, and good mood, as well as a general atmosphere of unity.