The Fête de la Musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day, or World Music Day, is an annual music
celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day, citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. Free concerts are also organized, where musicians play for fun and not for payment.
The first all-day musical celebration on the day of the
summer solstice
The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). The summer solstice is the day with the longest peri ...
was originated by
Jack Lang, then
Minister of Culture of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, as well as by
Maurice Fleuret; it was celebrated in Paris in 1982. Music Day later became celebrated in 120 countries around the world.
History
In October 1981,
Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music and Dance at the French
Ministry of Culture at
Jack Lang's request. He applied his reflections to the musical practice and its evolution: "the music everywhere and the concert nowhere". When he discovered, in a 1982 study on the cultural habits of the French, that five million people, one young person out of two, played a musical instrument, he began to dream of a way to bring people out on the streets. It first took place in 1982 in Paris as the Fête de la Musique.
Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries, including India, Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, the United States, the UK, and Japan.
[
In the ]Anglosphere
The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...
, the day has become known as Music Day, Make Music Day and World Music Day.
Purpose
Fête de la Musique's purpose is to promote music. Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets, under the slogan ''"Faites de la musique"'' ("Make music"), a homophone of ''Fête de la musique''. Thousands of free concerts are staged throughout the day, making all genres of music accessible to the public.
In France, all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time free of charge. This is true of most participating cities as well.
In France
Despite there being a large tolerance by the general public about the performance of music by amateurs in public areas after the usual hours, noise restrictions still apply and can cause some establishments to be forbidden to remain open and broadcast music out of their doors without prior authorization. This means that the prefectures in France can still forbid individuals, groups, or establishments to install any audio hardware in the street.
Reach and impact
there were 120 countries participating in Fête de la Musique, and over 1,000 cities participated across the world in that year. In 2023, events were held on most continents.
Italy's ''Festa della Musica'' began in 1985, and became national in 1994.[
The UK Event began as National Music Day in 1992. Make Music Day UK became an independent organization in 2022.][
]Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
has held the event in Lviv
Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
since 2013, and it has continued despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.[
In the United States, the Make Music Alliance was formed in 2014 to help coordinate efforts across the country. In 2023 there were 4,791 free concerts held across 117 U.S. cities, with over 100 in ]Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, Madison, New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, and Salem.
In Australia, Make Music Day Australia was initiated in 2018 by the Australian Music Association (AMA), and as of 2022 was co-hosted by the AMA and National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). In 2023, a huge international project called "Make Music, Make Friends" partnered 10 Australian schools with schools around the world to share music and greet one another on Make Music Day.
Turkiye and Ghana held their first Make Music Days in 2022, and South Africa in 2023.[
]
See also
* Make Music Day UK
* World music
"World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
References
External links
The French Culture Ministry's website on the ''Fête de la Musique''
(in French, international section also available i
English
{{Authority control
1982 establishments in France
June observances
Music festivals in France
Music festivals established in 1982
Events in Paris
Summer solstice