Inside Jerry Heil’s Kyiv Concert, Where International Artists Unite in Wartime Ukraine

On April 4, renowned Ukrainian singer Jerry Heil, who represented the country at Eurovision 2024, took the stage in Kyiv with a show titled “Dzherelo”  a carefully constructed performance shaped by the realities of a country at war, bringing together artists from Ukraine and abroad.

The artist’s first concert at the Palace of Sports sold out completely, with “Dzherelo” drawing an audience of 10,000 that evening. During the show, Jerry Heil performed fan-favorite hits and premiered her new track Dark Disco, accompanied by the Presidential Orchestra and two ballet ensembles, including the renowned FREEDOM Ballet, a dance troupe known for its explosive, visually driven performances.

Staging a concert in wartime Kyiv

Organizing a large-scale concert in Ukraine today means planning for the unpredictable. Air raid alarms can stop everything. Security protocols must be constantly reassessed. Every decision carries weight, not only for the artist but for thousands of people in the room.

For the show’s director and music video creator, Alan Badoev, this tension is unavoidable.

“This is not only about our concert,” he said. “It is about life during war in Ukraine. When you try to work, to realize your ideas, your dreams, your goals, you cannot forget about safety for even a minute. We live in a country where war feels like the wind. And you must constantly take care of yourself and of others. When there are so many people, every alarm echoes in your heart.”

The show's concept was built around a simple idea: to give energy back to the audience.

Badoev describes it as a cycle—something that begins beyond the human, becomes lived experience, and then returns as inspiration.

“When we created this show with Jerry, we wanted first of all to inspire Ukrainians. Because who, if not Ukrainians, can inspire Ukrainians? This show has to give strength. That is why it is called Source. It is about a part that comes from the sky, becomes a human, experiences love, separation, dreams—and then becomes an artist, and as an artist inspires others,” the director added.

The reality behind the stage

For Jerry Heil, organizing concerts today means balancing celebration with responsibility.

“There are ordinary challenges you meet when organizing something,” she said. “But also things you can only meet in a country at war. We have to stop everything when there are alarms. And we have many guests from abroad—we care about them even more than about ourselves. It is very important for us to make them feel protected, to show them they should not be afraid to come here.”

This duality runs through the entire event. It is both a performance and a logistical operation shaped by Russia’s war.

And yet, the purpose remains clear.

“To be honest, it is about being generous about where we are,” she said. “We are living our lives, we are celebrating, but we also remember those thanks to whom we are here. We are very conscious about what we are doing.”

Music unites 

Despite everything, the arena was full. People came not only to listen, but to release something they carry daily, such as fear, grief, or tension. The concert became a space where those emotions could be shared rather than contained.

“In dark times, people still need to live,” said a Romanian singer, Irina Rimes. “They need to share hope—and hope can be shared only together. There is nothing that unites people better than music.”

Moreover, Irina Rimes joined Jerry Heil on stage to perform HORA, a track blending Ukrainian and Romanian influences, adding to a lineup that blurred borders and genres—and marking another language-switch collaboration for Heil.

“We see you, we feel you,” she said. “I sincerely hope with all my heart that peace will come soon. A peace in which you will be able to breathe freely again. Glory to Ukraine!”

For Alyona Alyona, Ukrainian rapper who performed alongside Jerry Heil at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, the significance goes even further.

“When we create—music, poetry, art—that is culture right now,” she said. “We respect our traditional culture, but now we are creating something that future generations will be inspired by. We have to create, collect it, save it, and share it.”

Eurovision-2024 winner on the Ukrainian stage

The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, Nemo, was among the international artists returning to Ukraine that night, not as passing guest but as someone with a growing connection to the country, formed in part through their friendship with Jerry Heil, which began during the contest.

Performing in Ukraine for the second time, they described the decision to come back as deeply personal.

“I think it’s important for me to give something to people who live here,”  they said. “To show that I’m thinking of you, that you are important to me, that I care about this country and its culture. I’m deeply inspired by it.”

Their connection to Ukraine goes beyond the stage. Nemo said it is the people who keep bringing them back, noting that they have formed close friendships here with people who inspire them and “bring light” into their life.

During the concert, Nemo joined Jerry Heil to perform Invite Me Into Your Dreams , a song by Ukrainian artist Volodymyr Ivasyuk, singing in Ukrainian.

“I tried extremely hard to get the pronunciation right,” Nemo said. “For me, performing it in Ukrainian is a way of acknowledging this beautiful culture.”

Nemo and Jerry Heil also performed one of the singer’s most popular tracks, 12 Points.

Fundraising as a part of performance

Concerts like this are not just events. They extend beyond music to include fundraising efforts, such as charity auctions held during the evening.

This night was no exception. During the concert at the Palace of Sports, the singer joined a large-scale fundraiser marking PrivatBank’s  34th anniversary, which supported Ukraine’s Third Army Corps.

As part of the auction, attendees donated $16,000 for various lots, while nearly $24,000 more was contributed throughout the show via PrivatBank. The total amount raised exceeded $900,000.

The auction was led by stand-up comedian, volunteer, and the artist’s friend Vasyl Baidak, who once met Stephen Fry at a summit in Kyiv and left him laughing. The first lot featured a live performance of one of Jerry Heil’s early hits, #Okhrana_Otmena, a crowd favorite that is now rarely included in her concerts. Baidak and Jerry Heil hosted the bidding, and the chance to hear the song performed live during the show was purchased for $6,200.

Even those not participating directly were invited to contribute via QR codes placed throughout the venue.

In Kyiv, concerts are no longer just about entertainment. They show that the city is still alive. That people still gather. That artists still create. That international performers still come, not out of obligation, but because they want to be here.

They also show something simpler. That even in a country where war is felt “like the wind,” as Badoev puts it, people continue to live—not quietly, but together, and very loudly. And for a few hours, that is enough.

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