Avant Festival

Avant Festival (Avantfest, Avant Fest, Фестиваль Авант) was an annual international music festival, which took place in Russia. The festival began in 2004 and ran until 2013 in various venues in Moscow.

Overview and history
Avantfest was held for the first time in Moscow in May of 2004. The headliners for the 2004 festival were Russian band Tequilajazzz and American band Xiu Xiu.

In the later years the festival hosted numerous Russian indie bands and foreign acts, including Mudhoney, Explosions in the Sky, The Horrors, Yann Tiersen, Devendra Banhart, Swans, Mudhoney, Liars, Patrick Wolf, Spiritualized, Chinawoman, Jamie Lidell, Arab Strap, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Notwist, Lali Puna, And you will know us by the trail of dead, Lou Rhodes, 65daysofstatic, Yoav, Silver Apples, Why?, Asobi Sexu, I Am Kloot, Jarboe, We Have Band, CocoRosie, Why?, Oceansize, British Sea Power, etc. 2013 was the 10th year in a row that the festival was staged.

The festival promoted young Russian musicians and organized tours of foreign acts in Russia. Avantfest also organized several music venues in Moscow, among which were the venues "Aktovy Zal" (in 2006-2009) and AvantClub in the ArtPlay art cluster (in 2010-2011).

In 2016 Avantfest was held in the cultural center TEXTIL in the city of Yaroslavl.

Avantfest held in Russia, should not be confused with the Avant Art Festival, which has been held in Poland since 2008.