Fête de la Musique

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 was originated by Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture of France, 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 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 has held the event in Lviv since 2013, and it has continued despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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, Madison, New York City, Philadelphia, 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.