Each year, over 1000 cities around the world throw citywide music celebrations on June 21.

It all started 40 years ago in France.

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.

And, unlike a typical music festival, anyone and everyone would be invited to join and play music, or host performances. The event would take place on the summer solstice, June 21, and would be called Fête De La Musique. (In French, the name means both “festival of music” and “make music!”)

Amazingly enough, this dream has come true. The Fête has turned into a true national holiday: France shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 8% of the country (5 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique.

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 NAMM Foundation.

On Friday, June 21, 2024, Atlanta proudly celebrated its 8th Annual Make Music Day!

On Friday, June 21, 2024, Atlanta celebrated Make Music Day on summer solstice in conjunction with over 100 cities around the world. This one-day celebration showcased music by local artists through the Atlanta Federation of Musicians and throughout five of Atlanta’s historic districts: East Atlanta, Virginia Highland, Little 5 Points and West End. These districts make up the Atlanta Main Street cohort.

MMDATL mobilizes the community to self-produce a collaborative city-wide celebration where music is the medium and independent businesses and nontraditional venues are the location. The event is free and open to the public.

Email us at atlanta@makemusicday.org with any questions and follow us @makemusicdayatl on Instagram and Facebook!

About the Main Street Cohort:

The Atlanta Department of Planning launched the Atlanta Main Street cohort program in 2019 to bring the principles of design, organization, promotion and economic vitality to Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods and the nonprofit organizations representing each neighborhood. 

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE TO ATTEND!

Spend the Winter Solstice connecting to the community and show your love for local performers! Plan your day in the neighborhood you live or work. You could pick a neighborhood you’re not familiar with and let the healing vibes of music on the longest day of the year be your tour guide. 

Bring a chair, a blanket and/or put on your dancing shoes. Make Music Day is a participatory event where performers, venues and YOU make the magic! Support local businesses! Eat yummy food, grab a drink, enjoy a coffee, and buy a gift for a loved one or yourself.  Make Music Day Atlanta mobilizes the community to self-produce a collaborative city-wide event where music is the medium and independent businesses are the venues.

We’d love to hear from you!

Get in touch with us at atlanta@makemusicday.org

Follow us @makemusicdayatl on Instagram and Facebook.

Lauren Kelley

Ben Holst

Ben Holst has been a career musician, producer, engineer and composer in the Atlanta area for over 20 years. He came up in Athens, co-founded Tunewelders – an award winning music and audio production company, and later re-opened the historic Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta. Recent accolades include: Composer on the animated Netflix series The Liberator; co-producer on Grammy-nominated India.Arie’s Songversation: Medicine; writer and performer on the theme song for season 9 of Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs; and Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Board of Governors. Ben also currently serves as Director of Creative Media and Brand Development for live streaming powerhouse – Volume.com.