Make Music Day

Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part.

The idea of the music festival was previously imagined by the American musician Joel Cohen, in 1976, who was then working for Radio France/France Musique (France Musique). Cohen proposed for this channel the Saturnales de la Musique on June 21 and December 21 during the two solstices. He wanted the music groups to play on the evening of June 21. His project was realized on June 21 in 1976 in Toulouse.

In 1982, France’s Ministry of Culture dreamed up an idea for a new kind of musical holiday. They imagined a day where free, live music would be everywhere: street corners and parks, rooftops and gardens, store fronts and mountaintops. Three decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 120 countries. In the U.S., the presenting sponsor is the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.