Ural Music Night is Russia’s greatest music event that takes place in the heart of the Ural region. It takes 1 night, 200,000 visitors, 2,000 musicians, 100 stages, 50 music genres – and only one identity, suitable for any stage from the Opera theatre to a fancy bar and for an artist of any genre from folk to new wave.

The festival’s transforming identity changes its character depending on the musical genre. It is based on an image of a street ad poster – where different posters overlap each other and artists, events and genres hurry too change one another. Every ad poster seems to be assembled from pieces of different posters, and paper contours remind us of the easily recognised silhouettes of the Ural Mountains.

Blocks of the ad poster are informative as well: the main upper part is about the festival, the middle one is about the stage, the lower part tells about the musicians and headliners. Every stage can create unique ad posters, leaflets and souvenirs on their own using ready-made patterns, thus corresponding to the original style of the festival.

100 stages were branded with unique ad posters. Performance programs, leaflets, souvenirs (T-shirts and mugs) were designed and printed for a few thousand guests. Every stage customized their pattern and did it great. The ready materials corresponded to the goal – they were bright, original, informal and readable.

That year the festival had a record number of visitors (+30 thousand people). Anyone can visit and perform at the festival, as taking part in it is free. The organizers create every ad poster on their own using the pattern. It was crucial to create a brand style that would later start living its own independent life.

The dynamic image of hastily torn posters is understandable for anybody who is trying to follow music events. The contours of the ad poster pieces create the recognisable silhouette of the Ural Mountains. This is a reminder of the place where the project takes place and of the fact that the festival is informal.