The Fête de la Musique is an annual all-night music pageant that takes place all through France on June 21st, the longest day of the yr. Began in 1982 by the French Minister of Tradition Jack Lang, it’s now celebrated in 120 international locations all over the world.
Not Simply Any Music Competition
What makes it particular is that it’s a pageant for everybody, the place amateurs {and professional} musicians can each play their music and sing for the general public, who get to take pleasure in music of each form within the streets, in bars, in parks, and even in live performance halls. The entire concert events are free, and all the musicians, regardless of who they’re, donate their performances.
Noise and Blocked Roads
In the event you occur to be in Paris, count on to see musicians beginning to arrange within the early afternoon, and to listen to music on each nook (and presumably the balcony beneath your window) till the wee hours of the evening. Carry your earplugs for those who count on to try to sleep!
The six major metro traces (1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 14), trams, RERs, evening buses, and Transilien trains might be working all evening (see the stations within the map beneath), with a flat price ticket of €4 legitimate from 5pm on the 21st till 7am on the 22nd.
Don’t overlook that loads of streets might be blocked off for the road concert events, so it will likely be onerous to get round by taxi or some bus traces (and Vélibs are usually locked down for the evening).
Discovering the Concert events in Paris
There are few locations in Paris you received’t hear music on the evening of June 21st. You possibly can simply stroll round your favourite neighborhood and observe your ears. However for those who’re extra discerning or wish to be a bit extra proactive, you’ll find live performance listings on the next web sites (you’ll must auto-translate for those who don’t perceive French):
- The Official Fête de la Musique web site has the Ministry of Tradition’s complete program for the Fête de la Musique in France. They’ve an auto-translator on the positioning, though their search operate is so clunky and gradual, you’ll have to be affected person with it (I wouldn’t even try it on a smartphone).
- Fête de la Musique Instagram
- L’Officiel des Spectacles has a reasonably good checklist (with out annoying advertisements), organized by arrondissement, with particular instances and even the kind of music by shade code.
- Fête de la Musique web site for Paris, on Metropolis Corridor’s web site, solely reveals a couple of concert events, however it has a helpful map.
- Time Out Paris lists a dozen concert events with full descriptions, together with ones on the Gaîté Lyrique, on the Chalet des Iles within the Bois de Vincennes, within the Parc de la Villette, in Saint-Eustache Church, on the Level Ephémère, and the Olympia live performance corridor.
Wish to Play Your Music?
You don’t truly must register to play on the Fête de la Musique, however your live performance might be listed on the official program for those who do (no less than every week upfront): https://fetedelamusique.tradition.gouv.fr/en/en-pratique/espace-organisateurs/participez-a-l-evenement
