On January 12, the symbolic opening of the Festival took place in a park near the monument to Vasily Surikov on Mira Avenue. The event attracted a large number of spectators by cheerful grand performances of Krasnoyarsk artists. The Krasnoyarsk State Choir "Krasa", dance studios "Bolero" and "Firebird", winner of international competitions Larisa Kotsyuba and the massed choir of the Sverdlovsky Palace of Culture – everybody worked hard to entertain the townspeople with an open-air concert.

After the symbolic start, the official grand opening of the XVIII Winter Surikov Art Festival took place at Small Concert Hall. 

The audiences had the opportunity to enjoy a dramatic musical play titled "Two Geniuses. Blizzard". The play is based on one of the most mystical stories by Alexander Pushkin, "Blizzard". In it, a fatal accident does not allow two loving hearts to unite, but later fate gives the main heroine a chance encounter with true happiness. Through the admittedly classic plot, director Maria Bulatova and the actors involved in the production reveal the theme of doom in the fate of two geniuses Alexander Pushkin and Vasily Surikov, who are related not only by the caliber of their talent, but also by the passion and perseverance with which they reached the heights of their creativity.

The organisers also explain the choice of topic by the fact that the love for the poetry and prose of Alexander Pushkin remained in the Surikov family for many decades. Vasily Ivanovich himself created several illustrations for the poem "Poltava", for the tragedy "Boris Godunov" and for the "Blizzard" itself.

On Saturday, January 13, the Festival's cultural schedule continued; the youth competition "Magic Ice of Siberia" started on Yaryginskaya embankment. The participating teams tasked with the creation of incredible ice sculptures were introduced to the public.

The first days of the Festival turned out to be full of interesting events. Still, Krasnoyarsk residents and guests of the regional centre alike have many other events prepared by the organizers of the XVIII Winter Surikov Festival ahead of them. Like, for example, the project of the Krasnoyarsk City Administration and the Krasnoyarsk railway titled "Musical journey through railway stations", which has already become a favorite among the citizens. On January 17 and January 19, the concert will take place at the station Yenisei.

On Saturday, January 20, the Yaryginskaya embankment will become the platform of the official closing ceremony of the city project "Warm Evenings" - a winter analogue of the summer "Lively River-Banks" beloved by the locals, within the framework of which the winners of the youth ice sculpture competition "Magic Ice of Siberia" will also be awarded. The organisers promise a tight programme consisting of a light show from a professional drummer band, an open-air disco, special performances by artists with disabilities, photo competitions, outdoor games and other entertainment.