WHEN MUSIC BECOMES A UNIVERSAL RIGHT & A REVOLUTIONARYJOY KICKS OFF ON 21st JUNE

USPA NEWS - Once conceived as a bold cultural experiment by French Minister of Culture Jack Lang in 1982, the Fête de la Musique was born from a visionary impulse: to reclaim public space through sound, spontaneity, and shared joy. Falling every year on June 21st, the summer solstice, it channels the raw energy of the longest day of light, a symbolic echo of humanity’s oldest rituals, like the fires of Saint John’s Eve (la Saint-Jean), celebrating harvests, rebirth, and celestial balance.
Just as the solstice marks a threshold between seasons, between darkness and dawn this celebration of music transcends borders. It is a musical equinox, where tradition and innovation meet, and where all voices, young or old, rooted or nomadic, whispered or thunderous, are invited to rise in unison. What began as a French initiative now resonates in more than 120 countries across 5 continents, with over 1,000 cities staging events and millions gathering to play, sing, dance, and listen.
(Sources: French Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, Fête de la Musique Global Network)

AT THE PALAIS ROYAL, TRADITIONAL MUSIC IS REBORN IN CELEBRATION
This Saturday, June 21st, the French Ministry of Culture, Mrs Rachida Dati invites the world to gather in the enchanted gardens of the Palais-Royal for an unforgettable celebration of traditional music and dance genres born of oral heritage, reinvented by time, and pulsing with new life.
This year’s edition proudly honors the 40th anniversary of the Fédération des Acteurs et Actrices des Musiques et Danses Traditionnelles (FAMDT), whose unwavering dedication has kept these living traditions alive across generations. Through their work, ancient rhythms are not relics but roots anchoring the present and feeding the future.
Throughout the day, the gardens will awaken to wandering performances, polyphonic chants, contemporary reinventions, and for the first time since the festival's inception, a wooden bal parquet installed on the iconic Pol Bury platform, near the Buren Columns. From traditional dancers to delighted children at the 4 p.m. youth bal, and into the evening’s all-public dance at 6 p.m., the Palais-Royal becomes a dancefloor of democracy, where movement, memory, and music are shared freely.

As in previous years, this joyful crescendo concludes a series of inclusive outreach programs, designed for primary school students, hospitalized youth, and adults from marginalized communities affirming the Culture Ministry's commitment to universal access to culture.

PROGRAM FOR JUNE for June 21st / FREE ENTRY FOR ALL
Location: Domaine National du Palais-Royal, 75001 Paris
Accredited press: Entrance via 5 rue de Valois
1:30 p.m. Bagad Keriz
Breton bagad ensemble from Clichy-la-Garenne: 30 passionate amateur musicians in procession and static performance.
1:40 p.m. The Herds
Giant puppet animals dance among musicians and the crowd—interacting with the polyphonies and public.
1:50 p.m. Poplitê
Vocal experimentations from Brazil’s Nordeste and Mediterranean oral traditions (Occitania, Southern Italy, Galicia).
1:50 p.m. MAAAR
A journey between Iberia, Latin America, and France—where polyphony meets contemporary creation.
2:30 p.m. Daunas de Còr
Occitan and French polyphonic chants from the Pyrenees, blending ancestral melodies and original compositions.
2:30 p.m. La Mal Coiffée
Bold reinterpretations of traditional Languedocian vocal heritage.

WHERE TRADITION MEETS THE NOW
3:20 p.m. Gregory Jolivet: “Osmose”
A one-man show with electro-hurdy-gurdy from central France—at the frontier between folklore and modernity.
3:20 p.m. Nøkkenoc
A fierce duo weaving Gascon and Scandinavian folk with rock-metal intensity.
4:00 p.m. Youth Bal: Ronan le Gourierec
Breton traditions dance with jazz and improvisation, sparking joy for kids and parents alike.
4:00 p.m. Talancia Malonga
Emerging artist bridging traditional roots and contemporary rhythms.
5:15 p.m. Seksion Maloya
From the streets to the stage: Réunionese music and dance, blending polyphonic a cappella with percussion. In partnership with RATP.

GRAND FINALE
6:00 p.m. Public Bal
Everyone dances!
6:00 p.m. Ma Petite
Poitevin dance tunes that make your feet fly and your heart sing.
6:45 p.m. Super Parquet
A hypnotic fusion of Auvergne traditional sounds, electronic beats, and psychedelic textures, where hurdy-gurdy meets rave culture.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Credit Mutuel, SACEM, RATP, Insert, Phenix Digital, Le Bonbon, ARTE, France Médias Monde, TV5Monde.
Source : French Ministry of Culture