Fetes de la Musique 2012

Where: France and International
When: 21st June annually
What: Music celebration
How: Free concerts just turn up and enjoy.


The Fete de la Musique was launched in 1982 by the French Ministry for culture. It was designed to inspire and encourage musicians of all musical genres to celebrate their craft and to promote the exchange of ideas, sounds and influences to a younger generation of musicians.

It has grown in size to such an extent that it takes place in over a 100 countries worldwide. It happens on the 21st of June, the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere, every year and takes the shape of free concerts stages at multiple locations throughout the towns and cities of the participating countries.

It is also to encourage musicians to take their music to the streets and to play in venues that they would not normally be exposed to and so bring their sound to a larger audience. So you may hear classical strains from a city car park or hip hop beats from the steps of a court house.

It is open to all musicians who all play for free and all the concerts are also free. It is fast becoming a major event that embraces all music, ages, cultures and genres.

Look on the Fete de la Musique website for the concerts going on in your local area.