About
The international football and music festival "Art-football" which was invented and organized for the first time in Russia became one of the most remarkable world sports and music event in support of the ideas of Kindness and Humanity. It is held in the frame of the "Under the Flag of Kindness" campaign with the aim to raise funds guaranteeing treatment of seriously ill children.
The idea
The idea to organize The International football and music festival "Art-football" was hanging in the air since the time when the first artistic teams had started playing football in 70s and 80s of the last century. Unfortunately all the efforts to make the idea real were vain due to organizational and financial problems.
The "Art-football" project is based on the conception of football as a mean to gather famous artists from various countries who could not only play against each other on football field but also show their music talents.
2007
Where: Sochi
When: May 24 – June 4
Participants: Argentina, Belorussia, Brazil, Estonia, Cameroon, England, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine
Prizewinners: 1 Brazil, 2 Cameroon, 3 Slovakia
The "Art-football" participants played 41 match and gave 19 concerts. More than 20 000 people came to see the final gala-concert at the Sochi Winter theatre.
According to the regulations of the football tournament each team had to present proofs that all their players were artists (CD, DVD, recordings of TV programs). Also every team could comprise 2 former professional footballers not younger than 35 years of age and one famous non-football athlete.
It was decided to held the championship within the All-Russia charity campaign "Under the Flag of Kindness!" which has been going on with success in Russia since 2005 raising funds for treatment of seriously ill children.
2008
Where: Novorossiisk
When: September 10–16
Participants: Belorussia, Brazil, England, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Kuban Slava (Krasnodar region), Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine
Prizewinners: 1 Russia, 2 Brazil, 3 Ukraine
The economic and financial crisis struck painfully the "Art-football": a few foreign teams which would like to feel once again a particularly friendly atmosphere of the first artists’ championship in Sochi could not come to Novorossiisk. Nevertheless as for intensity of emotions and fair-play spirit the second "Art-football" festival did not yield to the Sochi tournament. That is why the first Russia’s victory at the Artists’ World Cup was so precious. In the semi-final the Russian art-footballers overcame the Romanian team and bit Brazil, champion-2007, in the final despite the fact that nobody believed it could be possible.
2013
Where: Moscow
When: June 2–12
Participants: Belarus, Brazil, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Israel, Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine
Prizewinners: 1 Brazil, 2 Romania, 3 Israel
Moscow hosted for the first time the Artists’ World Championship traditionally held in the frames of the All-Russia charity campaign "Under the Flag of Kindness!".
The matches were played at "Eduard Streltsov", "Krylia Sovetov" and "Spartak" stadiums.
Every night during the Festival two teams free from the games gave gala-concerts on the stage of the Green Theatre in the Gorky park together with the world stars, special guests of the event — Chris Norman, Riccardo Fogli, Emir Kusturica, Denis Matsuev, Tomas Anders, "Abba-Show", "Uriah Heep", "Fools Garden" etc.
More than 500 participants and guests took part in the Festival.
A large-scale charity campaign was held during the Festival, some kind of a Week of Kindness and Good, with the aim to raise funds to help seriously ill children. As a result personal medical certificates guaranteeing payment of expensive medical assistance were given to their parents.
The gala-match between "Rosich-Starco", united team of politicians and musicians, and The Rest of the World team was played the closing day of the Festival at the "Eduard Streltsov" stadium (2:2) where the gala-concert was also held.
The Moscow government and the Russian Football Union supported the Festival.
2014
Where: Moscow
When: May 23 – June 1
Participants: Brazil, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
Prizewinners: 1 Romania, 2 Israel, 3 Russia
Joseph Blatter, president of FIFA, and Pele, King of football, gave their full support to the "Art-football" festival.
"Welcome to the fourth edition of the Artists’ World Championship Football and Music Festival — "Art-football". A truly unique celebration of sports and music — staged in this proudly sporting country and host country for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia", Blatter said in his letter to the organizers of the Festival.
Moscow hosted for the second consecutive time the Artists’ World Championship traditionally held in the frames of the All-Russia charity campaign "Under the Flag of Kindness!".
The matches were played at "Lokomotiv", "Krylia Sovetov" and "Spartak" stadiums.
Every night during the Festival two teams free from the games gave gala-concerts on the stage of the Festival place in Sokolniki park together with the world stars, special guests of the event — The Nazateth, East 17, Fools Garden, Toto Cutugno etc.
More than 500 participants and guests took part in the Festival.
A large-scale charity campaign was held during the Festiva with the aim to raise funds to help seriously ill children. As a result personal medical certificates guaranteeing payment of expensive medical assistance were given to parents of dozens of children.
The gala-match between «Rosich-Starco», united team of politicians and musicians, and The Rest of the World team was played the closing day of the Festival at the "Lokomotiv" stadium (7:4) where the gala-concert was also held.
The Moscow government and the Russian Football Union supported the Festival.