Various Western DJs have been criticised for playing at Outline Festival in Russia, with many saying they are “normalising war”.

The festival took place from July 18 to 22 and saw over 110 acts on the line-up, which included DJs and musicians from France, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, the US and more.

Outline Festival is one of Russia’s biggest techno and experimental fests and was held near the Kremlin, from which Russia ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many Western musicians have cancelled any planned gigs in the country in solidarity with Ukraine and as a protest against Russia’s aggression.

Speaking to The Guardian, Ukrainian activist Maya Baklanova said: “All Western artists who perform there are normalising the war and the Russian regime.”

Baklanova – who worked in the Kyiv music scene for years – added: “For the Kremlin, it is important to show to its own audience that Western artists are still ready to travel to Moscow and play as if nothing is going on and Russia is not isolated.”

She also added that the participation of the artists helps fund the Russian economy, leading them to contribute to the country’s military budget. “I see a total lack of awareness, ignorance and greed among some in the electronic scene,” she added.

German DJ AtomTM, who headlined this year’s festival, shared a statement on his official website claiming that the criticism of his performance was a “smear campaign” and added “I consider myself a profoundly non- or rather trans-political person. Unlike politics, which is the mode of separation, I had chosen music, which is the mode of unification.”

The festival was cancelled in 2016 and made its controversial return last year. Local authorities had cancelled it claiming that Outline failed to meet permit requirements. At the time, the festival organisers disputed these claims.

Last year, a tent with military recruiting posters was spotted at the entrance of the festival.