How Global Artists Show Up For Ukraine from Glastonbury to Kharkiv

Amid the rolling green hills of Somerset, England, 80-year-old pop legend Rod Stewart introduced his rendition of “Love Train” to fans at this summer's Glastonbury Festival saying: “I want to draw your attention to Ukraine with this next song.” Famed for his raspy singing style, Stewart is far from the only artist using his voice to publicly support Ukraine. Many in the music industry are using their platforms to show solidarity.

In the weeks following Russia’s full-scale invasion, global stars like Madonna, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, and Ozzy Osbourne joined the “Stand Up for Ukraine” campaign, helping to raise over $9 billion in humanitarian aid. Others, including Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., and Alanis Morissette, donated lyrics to be printed on merchandise for UNICEF’s Ukraine Emergency Appeal. On stage, artists like Imagine Dragons, Harry Styles, and Billie Eilish continue to wave the Ukrainian flag during their concerts.

Support pours in from far and wide—in both senses of the phrase. Understandably, most musicians only offer solidarity from a distance, hesitant to enter a country still under relentless Russian attacks.

However, a brave few international acts have stepped onto Ukrainian soil. The avant-garde Tiger Lillies toured Lviv and Kyiv in July of 2024, performing new songs written especially for Ukraine and donating all album proceeds to relief efforts. German DJ Kittin also played in Kyiv last year, becoming one of the first high-profile Western DJs to return during the war.

Now stepping forward is Hardwicke Circus—a rock band from Carlisle that embarked on a “Songs of Freedom” tour across Czechia and Ukraine, raising funds for frontline vehicles and medical aid. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the concerts in Kyiv and other cities, along with merchandise sales, went directly to Mission Aid for Ukraine.

Band co-founder and drummer Tom Foster is quick to clarify that while Hardwicke Circus originates from northern England, the version playing in Ukraine is a global mix: Joe from Texas, Conor from Melbourne, Ben from London, and Roman—the saxophonist—from Kyiv. “Which is good,” said Tom, “because it shows that universally there's support for Ukraine.”

We’d rather be here than in Glastonbury.

Joe King Carrasco

Hardwicke Circus guest guitarist

The band—no strangers to Glastonbury, having performed there in 2022 at the recommendation of Paul McCartney—made a pointed choice to tour Ukraine during the iconic UK festival as a symbolic gesture of deeper commitment.

Jonny, the lead singer and guitarist, was blunt in his criticism of the broader music industry: “It’s full of lip service.” Rather than simply post online, the band decided to take real action. “Let’s do something that has a real, positive impact—instead of just doing it for clout online.” He added: “You could be waving a flag in a field or you could be coming here and aligning yourself with people trying to make a positive impact. Danger is one element”, said Jonny, “but that doesn’t reduce the importance of what we’re trying to help with.” 

Their tour stretched from the historic city of Lviv in the west to the frontline region of Kharkiv in the east. They even returned to Kharkiv a second time, feeling “totally at home,” according to Mission Aid for Ukraine founder Adrian Simpson—a former British paratrooper who served as their security advisor on the road. 

Adrian’s foundation has so far delivered 14 converted SUVs, over 200 personal trauma kits, and countless boxes of humanitarian aid, including clothes, children’s books, and care packages from the UK. When asked if he ever delivers lethal aid, he replied: “Lots of donors are only comfortable with humanitarian aid—vehicles and first aid kits. But we do also provide vehicles, for example, for drone units. I always ask donors: if their daughter or son were fighting on the frontline, would they want to give them whatever they can? And they nearly always come back and say: ‘Give them whatever you can.’” 

Much of the tour’s success was thanks to OKAZIA, a three-piece all-female indie band who opened each concert and helped organize venues. “Snishka is really cool on lead vocals,” Tom writes in his diary. “Maria and Alina on the rhythm section will give every Leeds College of Music [kid—ed.] a run for their money,” he adds, going on to describe OKAZIA as the “Queens of Kharkiv.”

A deeply emotional highlight of the tour came during a performance at a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers who had been on the front line for over a decade. “It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” said Jonny. “We play in a lot of places other bands don’t. And just like in those places, being in Ukraine, the songs have resonated in a new way. There may be a language barrier, but the meaning of the music and the lyrical content has become something entirely new.”

The band plans to return, bringing not only more music but a vehicle they intend to personally deliver to the front lines. Their message is simple: don’t underestimate what small acts of solidarity can do. As an independent band, unbound by the restrictions of record labels, they’ve long been guided by principle. “Our whole project has been about a musicality up against an ethos—doing things that we believe in,” Jonny explained.

Ukrainians need rock & roll. They need entertainment. Get ’em back to dancing.

Joe King Carrasco

Hardwicke Circus guest guitarist

Though the vast majority of international artists remain understandably cautious, a handful continue to make the long journey to Ukraine—despite the logistical and emotional challenges. Ukrainian fans often travel for days across borders to attend shows, making the rare concerts held at home more than just entertainment—they’re lifelines of cultural resistance.

In a welcome sign of hope, international headliners The Rasmus took to the stage at Kyiv’s Atlas Weekend music festival last weekend—the only foreign act on the bill. Friday night’s performances were interrupted by air raid sirens, forcing thousands of concertgoers and musicians into shelters. Fortunately, The Rasmus were able to perform uninterrupted on Saturday—a brief reprieve that felt like a triumph. These moments, however fleeting, speak to Ukrainians’ determination to reclaim joy and a sense of togetherness, offering a glimpse of a future where the music won’t have to stop.

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