Kicking Off Summer with the Fête de la Musique

Nothing is more sacred than long vacations in France. To kick off the summer season, the French pull out all the stops on June 21, when the annual Fête de la Musique takes place in celebration of the summer solstice.

History of the Fête de la Musique

From its charming quaint villages to the Louvre in Paris, everyone is in the streets all night long for the Fête de la Musique.

In 1982, Jack Lang, Minister of Culture, conducted a study on French cultural habits. Inspired by the results indicating that one out of two French youth played a musical instrument, he decided to launch the first Fête de la Musique, an all night event in the tradition of the Saint Jean Festivals. The idea took off with free concerts around the country and is now one of France’s most popular cultural events and is also celebrated in major cities around the world.

Dance!

Take a look at one of the previous years’ performances by Patrick Bruel…

This year’s 31st edition has something for every music taste in every quarter in Paris and throughout the country, from classical with the Paris Symphony Orchestra playing at the Louvre, to jazz, rap, world music and pop singers.

More from Deb Dutilh

Deb Dutilh is Relationship and Communication Maven who spent 30 years living in Paris and in Pau, France. Now living in Los Angeles, she helps clients around the world reignite their relationships and get back to talking, sharing and loving again.

Check out her website at www.debdutilh.com, read her articles on Your Tango, follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on Twitter.

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