Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg: Where to Watch the Ship

The Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg, is the city’s graduation night, held every year in the second half of June when the sky never fully darkens. It officially celebrates school leavers, but crowds of residents and visitors line the Neva embankments to watch it.

The evening has two parts. A concert takes place on Palace Square, and in the early hours a sailing ship with scarlet sails moves along the river under a fireworks display. This page explains where to stand, what the night means for transport and what to plan for. The details of each edition change, so check the official city announcements.

Quick Facts

Russian name	Алые паруса
Type	Recurring event
When	Every year in the second half of June, during the white nights, usually on a night at the weekend. The city sets the exact date each year.
Typical duration	One evening and night: a concert on Palace Square in the evening, then the ship and fireworks on the Neva in the early hours
Address	Дворцовая площадь и набережные Невы, Санкт-Петербург (Palace Square and the Neva embankments) OpenStreetMap · Google Maps
District	Admiralteysky
Metro	Admiralteyskaya (Line 5 (Purple), Closest to Palace Square; a short walk, but expect closed streets on the night) Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2 (Blue), About 15 to 20 minutes on foot along Nevsky Prospekt to the Admiralty) Gostiny Dvor (Line 3 (Green), Linked to Nevsky Prospekt; the same walk toward the river)
Admission	Watching the ship and the fireworks from the public embankments is free. The concert on Palace Square is mainly for invited graduates, so do not plan on entering it.
Best time to visit	Arrive in the early evening to find a spot, and expect to wait until the early hours for the ship and fireworks. The night falls in the second half of June, when the sky stays pale. The weather can turn cool and windy by the river after midnight.
Last updated	October 17, 2026

Dates, programs and prices change from year to year. Always check the official website for the current edition.

Why Visit Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg?

• The ship on the Neva: a sailing ship with scarlet sails glides past the Winter Palace and the Spit as fireworks burst overhead.
• White-night light: the show runs in a pale, never-quite-dark sky, which you will not see in most European cities.
• A city-wide night: the embankments fill with graduates, families and visitors, and it feels like a shared celebration.
• A literary link: the festival takes its name from Alexander Grin’s novella about a girl who waits for a ship with scarlet sails.
• Setting: Palace Square, the Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress form the backdrop.

What to Expect at Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

The night follows a familiar pattern. In the evening, a large concert is held on Palace Square, with well-known performers and a stage built for the occasion. Entry to the square is mainly through invitations given to graduates, so most visitors watch from outside.

Around midnight, the crowds gather along the Neva embankments, which fill up well before the main moment. In the early hours, the bridges are raised, a sailing ship with scarlet sails appears on the river, and a fireworks and light show runs above the water. The programme, performers and theme differ from year to year, and organisers also stage smaller events in other parts of the city.

Highlights of Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

The concert on Palace Square

The concert is the first half of the night and takes place in front of the Winter Palace, with a large stage and screens. It is aimed at graduates, who receive invitations, so most other people see it only from the edges or on screens elsewhere.

The line-up and staging change every year, so check the current edition before you plan around a specific act.

Tip: If you have no invitation, skip the square and use the evening to find your spot on the river instead.

The sailing ship with scarlet sails

The centrepiece is a historic-style sailing ship with bright red sails, which moves along the Neva in the early hours. In recent years the brig Rossiya has played this role, and earlier editions used other ships. The ship passes the Winter Palace and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

The exact route and timing vary, so read the official notice for the edition.

Tip: Choose a spot on the Palace Embankment or near the Spit, where the ship passes the main landmarks.

Fireworks and light show over the Neva

As the ship passes, a pyrotechnic and light display lights up the river, with the Peter and Paul Fortress on the far bank. It is usually launched from barges on the water, so it is visible from many embankments.

It starts late at night, when the sky is only pale blue.

Tip: Bring something to sit on; the wait before the show is long.

The embankments as viewing areas

The Palace Embankment, the Admiralty Embankment and the Vasilyevsky Island Spit are the best-known places to watch. Other riverbank stretches have smaller screens and music. Spots near the main viewpoints fill hours before the show.

Access routes can be closed or one-way on the night, so follow the signs and the staff.

Tip: Pick a less central stretch of the river if you want more space and still a clear view.

What It Means for Your Visit

The night affects the centre far more than the rest of the city. Streets around Palace Square, the Admiralty and the river embankments are usually closed to traffic, and many access routes become one-way pedestrian lanes. Some metro stations near the centre may be closed or exit-only at times, and buses and taxis are slow or rerouted.

Shops and cafes near the route may close early or stay open late, and the usual drawbridge schedule applies once the bridges go up for the night. Crowds are very large, and it is hard to cross the river after the show starts. Check the official city announcements for the current edition for closures, entry points and transport changes.

Atmosphere

The mood is closer to a city-wide street party than a ticketed show. Young graduates in formal clothes walk through the centre in groups, music drifts from the squares, and families settle onto the embankment stones with blankets and flasks. As the night goes on, the crowd along the river thickens and quietens.

When the bridges rise and the ship appears, the noise rolls along the water and then fades into the sky, which is still pale at that hour. After the fireworks, the crowd moves slowly away from the river, and the city does not feel fully asleep until the early morning.

History of Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

The festival grew out of the tradition of marking the end of the school year in Leningrad, as the city was then called. The first celebration of this kind took place in 1968, when graduates gathered by the Neva to mark the end of school, and a ship with scarlet sails became its symbol.

The name comes from Alexander Grin’s novella Scarlet Sails, published in the early 1920s. In it, a girl named Assol is told that one day a ship with scarlet sails will come for her, and the story ends with the ship arriving. The festival used this image as a sign of dreams that come true and the start of adult life.

For many years the celebration was a smaller event for Leningrad school leavers, held on the river embankments. Over time the programme expanded to include a large concert on Palace Square, a ship procession and a fireworks display, and the event became one of the city’s best-known summer occasions.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the festival continued under the name Scarlet Sails, now as part of the city’s summer calendar and the white nights. It started to draw very large crowds of residents and visitors, not just graduates, and the city treated it as a major public event with extra security and transport measures.

The format has changed over the years, including the choice of ship, the performers and the exact timing. The general pattern, a concert in the evening followed by the ship and fireworks in the early hours, has stayed the same. For the current edition, always check the city’s official announcements.

Tickets and Booking for Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

There is generally no ticket for watching the ship and fireworks from the public embankments, which are free. The concert on Palace Square is mainly for graduates who receive invitations, so visitors should not count on entering it.

• Details change by year: the organisers, entry rules and any registration system for the square are set for each edition.
• Lead time: embankment spots fill up hours before the show, so plan to arrive early.
• Payment: the sanctions rules of your own country may limit the use of some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.

For the current edition, rely on the announcements of the Saint Petersburg city administration and the official festival channels.

How to Get to Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

The main viewing area is the river around Palace Square and the Admiralty.

• Admiralteyskaya (Line 5): the closest station, but it may be exit-only or closed at times on the night.
• Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2) and Gostiny Dvor (Line 3): a walk of about 15 to 20 minutes along Nevsky Prospekt toward the river.

Plan to walk the last part, as roads near the river are closed to traffic. See How to Use the Metro, Saint Petersburg and How to Watch the Drawbridges Open, Saint Petersburg.

Food Nearby

Cafes and restaurants in the centre usually stay open late on the night, but queues are long. Bring water and snacks, as the river embankments have few places to buy food. For sit-down options earlier in the evening see Best Restaurants, Saint Petersburg.

What to Bring

A warm layer, because the river is cool after midnight even in June. Something to sit on, water and a charged phone. Expect security checks near the main areas.

Best Views and Photo Spots of Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

Palace Embankment facing the Winter Palace

The ship passing in front of the palace facade with fireworks above the water.

Best time: Early hours, during the ship's passage

The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island

The Rostral Columns with the ship and fireworks on the river beyond.

Best time: Early hours; arrive well in advance

Admiralty Embankment

A long stretch of river with the Peter and Paul Fortress spire across the water.

Best time: Early hours

Palace Bridge area

The raised bridge spans with fireworks above.

Best time: When the bridge is raised, in the early hours

Photography Rules

Photography is free from the public embankments. Tripods may be restricted in crowded zones, so check the signs. Drones are not allowed in the centre and are especially unwelcome during large events.

Family Suitability

Possible with older children, but the night is very late, crowded and noisy, and it is hard to leave the area once the show starts. Strollers are difficult in the crowd. Families with small children may prefer a quieter stretch of the river.

Russia Vibes Tips

• Decide in advance how you will get home; the metro and bridges close or change, and taxis are slow near the centre.
• A quieter stretch of the river often gives a clearer view than the most famous spots.
• Eat before you go; shops and cafes near the route are crowded and many close early.
• The show begins when the sky is pale, so there is no need to wait for full darkness.
• Keep your phone charged and agree on a meeting point if you are in a group, as signal can be weak in the crowd.

Explore Nearby Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

Sights near Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

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  Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburgabout 750 m away (~12 min walk) · typical visit: 1–2 hours, plus time for any museum
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Metro stations near Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

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  Admiralteyskaya Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 350 m away (~5 min walk)
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  Nevsky Prospekt Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 850 m away (~14 min walk)
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  Gostiny Dvor Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 1.1 km away (~19 min walk)

Restaurants and cafes near Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

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  Gogol, Saint Petersburgabout 400 m away (~7 min walk)
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  Severyanin, Saint Petersburgabout 1.4 km away (~23 min walk)

Train stations and river piers near Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

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  Rumyantsev Descent Pier, Saint Petersburgabout 1.2 km away (~20 min walk)

Events and traditions near Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

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  Stars of the White Nights Festival, Saint Petersburgabout 1.9 km away (~30 min walk)

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FAQ: Scarlet Sails Festival, Saint Petersburg

Why is it called Scarlet Sails?

It is named after Alexander Grin's novella about a girl who waits for a ship with scarlet sails. The ship became a symbol of dreams that come true.

Can tourists go to the Palace Square concert?

Entry is mainly by invitation for graduates, so most visitors watch from the embankments instead. Check the current rules.

When does the ship appear?

In the early hours, after the evening concert and before dawn. The exact time changes each year.

Is Scarlet Sails the same as the White Nights Festival?

No, it is a separate graduation celebration held during the white nights. See the White Nights Itinerary, Saint Petersburg.

Is it free to watch?

Yes, from the public embankments.

Which date is it held?

The date is not fixed. It is usually a weekend night in the second half of June, set by the city each year.

What about the drawbridges?

They are raised during the night as usual. See How to Cross the Neva During Drawbridge Openings, Saint Petersburg.

Is it safe?

The crowd is large but mostly good-natured. Keep valuables close and follow the instructions of staff and police.

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