Fête n de la   

MUSIQUE

MUSIC DAY

         Information provided by Katell Robino

The Streets are alive with sound on 21 June when Music is played throughout the evening and night in France.  The festival can also take place on other nights such as this year 2007 when many towns celebrate on Friday 22nd or Saturday 23rd.   Dinard has celebrations on each of these nights.  the The bars are full of music lovers, stages are erected in villages for the musical shows, street musicians play and both professional and amateur musician combine to make this the night of the Summer Solstice a joyous event.

The first Music day in France was held in 1982 and was the concept of  Jack Lang the then Minister of “Culture”.  He wanted to develop integration and exchange among young people.  Each year in France, 10 million people go out in the street in order to listen to 800,000 musicians. 

In less than fifteen years, the Music Day concept has spun off and now takes place in more than a hundred countries, on the 5 continents.  Many towns have signed the “Charter of the Partners of the European Music Celebration”, like New-York, Berlin, Prague, Naples, Barcelona, Liverpool… 

In Africa, Brazil and Colombia, Music Day is almost a national day.  It really became an important day in those countries.    

Music Day is totally free with all events taking place in the street where  professionals musicians and amateurs take part.  They all come from the whole world and are playing all kinds of music.  There is also entertainment in bars. 

French people and Music Day

French people are very keen on this musical event and the idea was so popular that in 1982, the first year the event took place, 79% of French people took part of it, as spectators or as musicians.  French people really appreciate this day because it is free, because they can find the kind of music they like (from techno music to classical music), and also because they can go to the “party” in family, parents with children. 

On the 21^st of June, music is every where in France.  Every body want to take part of this event.  In the school, pupils dress up in order to go walking in the street.  Some volunteers go in the hospitals to play music and to bring a little bit of happiness to the patients.  Even the prisoners have their Music Day. 

Each year a commemorative stamp dedicated to Music Day is issued, this idea coming into being in 1998.

More information  Go on the website www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr.  where there is also an English version of the site.