From 28 June to 4 July 2026, the Ukrainian jazz trio ShekBand joined forces with the Spanish educational ensemble Jazz for Kids for United in Jazz: Ukraine meets Spain, a week-long Green Pilot Tour across the rural communities of Aragón. The project featured concerts, workshops, artist talks and educational activities in Huesca, Zaragoza, Aínsa, Fonz and Albelda, bringing together musicians, local audiences and young artists through the universal language of jazz.

Developed following connections made during jazzahead! 2025 within the Resonate UA programme, the tour became much more than a concert series. It created a safe space for artistic dialogue, intercultural exchange and peer learning, while giving ShekBand the opportunity to share the experience of creating music under wartime conditions and reflect on resilience, identity and the role of culture in today's Europe.

The tour also demonstrated that sustainable international mobility is possible even in challenging circumstances. Despite the complexities of travelling from wartime Ukraine and organizing an environmentally conscious tour through rural Spain using low-carbon transport, the project proved that meaningful cultural exchange can go hand in hand with responsible touring practices.

One of the greatest achievements of the project was the collaboration between the Ukrainian and Spanish musicians, whose joint performances, workshops and conversations fostered genuine friendships and laid the foundation for future partnerships. Performing in spectacular open-air venues overlooking the Pyrenees further reinforced the project's message that music and nature together create powerful spaces for dialogue and solidarity.

United in Jazz: Ukraine meets Spain was realized as part of the Europe Jazz Network's Green Pilot Tours initiative by EJN members the Ukrainian Institute and Plataforma Jazz España, in partnership with Jazz for Kids. The project demonstrates how cultural diplomacy, sustainability and artistic collaboration can strengthen European connections while amplifying the voices of Ukrainian artists on the international stage.