Neil Young has announced his plans to play a free concert in Ukraine to kick off the forthcoming European leg of his Love Earth tour.
The musician announced the news on his website, confirming that he and his band, the Chrome Hearts, will be performing a special free concert “for all”, with additional details regarding dates and venue expected in the coming days.
Young and the Chrome Hearts will begin the Love Earth world tour this summer to promote their upcoming record, Talkin’ to the Trees. Kicking off in Rättvik, Sweden, the group will perform through Europe and North America before wrapping up in Los Angeles on September 15th.
“Join us as we celebrate the Summer of Democracy,” Young wrote on his website. “Old songs and new songs. Old words and new words. Long jams! We will come together this summer. The Chrome Hearts and I are ready for you!”
Young has previously voiced his opinions on the political climate in Ukraine, describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a screwed-up mind” who “wants to relive his life and make things better for himself because of mistakes he thinks were made 50 years ago”.
The announcement also follows US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, coming just days after another of Young’s website posts titled ‘Leader of the Free World No More’.
“The US has lost its standing,” Young critisied. Continuing, “Loyalists will never be stronger than Patriots, and Patriots are in the majority here in the USA. Our Patriots will take to the streets to peacefully demonstrate. There will be a moment of truth in our country, and we will show the world who we really are. The USA will again be the leader of the Free World.”
Young and the band were also recently confirmed as headliners at the upcoming BST Hyde Park festival in London, marking his first return to the lineup since 2019 as a co-headliner with Bob Dylan. While in Europe, Young will also headline the Glastonbury festival after previously pulling out due to issues with the BBC and “corporate control”.
Elsewhere, Young also recently announced details of a new documentary, Coastal, which will follow the musician’s solo tour in 2023. He will also be releasing a live album, Coastal: The Soundtrack, set to include 11 stripped-back versions of tracks from his discography.
