Fete de la Musique in Cape Town

An all day, all night French music celebration to mark the coming of summer

The 2013 Fete de la Musique event has been cancelled.

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Fête de la Musique, or World Music Day, returns to Cape Town on Friday, 21 June 2013 for a city-wide FREE celebration of music at various venues in the Mother City.

First started in France in 1982, the festival was born after an American musician employed at a French radio station, Joel Cohen, suggested an all night musical celebration to commemorate the moment of the summer solstice. Now an annual event held in 450 cities across the world, Fête de la Musique is a day when live musical performances by amateur and professional musicians take over the city.

Since we’re not in the same hemisphere, Cape Town is celebrating the winter solstice on June 21; it’s not exactly a date that comes with the same joie de vivre so aptly associated with French summers, but at least we know it’s downhill for winter after this.

The 2012 music fiesta saw a range of artists perform music from various genres in an assortment of venues, from Charles Summerfield’s performance of  Balkan afro jazz and the Jack Mantis Band’s acoustic rock at the Cape Quarter Piazza to the Cape Flat Tenors’ exquisite opera at the Lutheran Church in Strand Street. While the programme for this year's free music festival is yet to be announced, there's sure to be a hearty line-up on the books rearing to take the city by storm.

So, enjoy a groovy lunch, a laidback sundowner or just chill out with the kids after school and take in the universal language of music this winter solstice in Cape Town.

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