Music Festival in Lyon

Lyon on Music Day

On its squares, its streets, its river banks and in its bars, in each district and neighbourhood, Lyon celebrates the Fête de la Musique (or Music Day) on the 21st of June. 

IFor the past forty years, on the first day of summer, when the weather is warm, the city’s public spaces are filled with artists from all backgrounds. Hundreds of singers, groups and musicians perform on this day. In 2022, there were 300 of them. As people spill out of schools and offices into the streets, music is everywhere!

Temporary stages are set up for the occasion and free concerts are organised in the city, for an evening filled with the sounds of musical instruments. The people of Lyon are regularly treated to surprises. In 2022, Matthieu Chedid happened to be in Lyon for the Nuits de Fourvière festival and gave an impromptu concert in Vieux-Lyon for the Fête de la Musique.

A day for all audiences

From the Place des Terreaux to Tête d’Or Park, the Auditorium and Les Subsistances, Lyon as a whole is transformed into a giant city of music. In 2022, it extended beyond the city limits into Villeurbanne. The major thoroughfare linking the two towns, Cours Emile Zola, became the longest musical avenue in France for an evening, with 5 km of concerts and music.

For this popular event, people of all ages get together outdoors to eat and drink to the sounds of brass bands, batucada ensembles, and impromptu concerts given by famous and amateur artists. At the beginning of each year, a call for projects is issued by the municipal authority to take part in the Fête de la Musique. Whether you’re a singer, a group or a musician, and whatever your level, it offers a chance to perform with the support of the city.