Audience as Architect : The Democratisation of Fête de la Musique

Almost 50 years after the festival's inception, street artists are beginning to compete with state sponsored events.

credits: tmstakess

Since 1982, the Parisian summer street festival, Fête de la Musique has continued to evolve. Originally in celebration of the summer solstice, the festival  has continued to promote a unique demonstration of connectivity, passion and artistic freedom. As such, attendees from the 1st to the 20th arrondissement continue to welcome a wide range of street performers, DJ’s and promoters from around the world. For those that attended this years’ Fête, we played witness to seemingly endless online discourse that seemed to echo the same call for democratisation.  Over the weeks leading up to the festival, many were warned by French natives not to pay out hundreds for what has always been and theoretically will always be a street fair. Where Fête has faced comparisons to our own Notting Hill Carnival, some of the street performances we saw defined the event.

Open Access!

In a discussion surrounding the democratisation of music, and specifically this music festival, the first and arguably most crucial step to the process demanded the removal of gatekeepers. The institutions, curators and producers that have at times placed their events behind a paywall invertedly encouraged spontaneous and uncharted performances, offering platforms to amateur and emerging artists. Now, almost 50 years after the festival’s inception, the street performances that once found themselves overshadowed by state sponsored events have begun to rival them.

On Saturday evening, DJ Nedi stood out amongst other street DJ’s hosting free events, playing a set that oversaw popular hype music of the 2020’s. Her set helped garner an audience of hundreds, where the entire Rue du Boccador were filled by new fans emerging from elsewhere.  Many of us were devastated to miss out on another open event hosted at the Eiffel Tower that evening, with the landmark serving as a backdrop to one of Fête 2025’s most vibrant parties. Nella Rose was spotted front and centre for this event, dancing alongside other influencers gathered out in the open to celebrate an end to the night.

Comparatively, formerly popular events like the techno scene at the famous Chateau de Chantilly, continue to charge guests upwards of €50 on the 21st, having been marketed as a part of ‘Paris Fashion Week’ to prospective attendees. With the level of exclusion exhibited by such a pricey event, the comparison between the considerably more authentic, free street parties and these ticketed events is certainly stark. After welcoming guests to what feels less like a grassroots celebration and more like a gated gala, the need for democratisation at the centre of the festival has never been more clear. Whilst reportedly up to ten thousand were initially interested in attending the event, ticketed events are becoming a scarcity at this annual celebration.

credits: tmstakess

The Production

Where production is concerned, the budget of state-sponsored events has in the past provided their organisers with more room to create eye-catching and engaging scenes. The sound systems, lighting and crowd control accessible typically serves in contrast to that of performances by street artists, which were typically characterised by minimal infrastructure and self organisation - seemingly unitimidating qualities in the face of state sponsored events. Previously, Fête’s attendees were split into different audiences, where some might have been drawn to the polish and scale of official events, while others preferred the intimacy, rawness or authenticity of street performers.

As it happens now, it appears the disparities between the quality of state-sponsored events and the events taking place on the streets that surround them are decreasing massively. Many were seen attending Spiritual Gangsta’s FDLM block party, which came complete with a full sound system and security measures despite the free entry and lack of state sponsoring. This viral party, cascading into the early hours of the morning, managed to capture the attention of both Fête’s attendees as well as those who weren’t able to attend this year.

Digital Echoes

Where state sponsored events hold the capacity to display news about their events through the official media channels, social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok have enabled street artists to amplify their reach beyond physical crowds. Oftentimes, smaller artists will promote their events weeks ahead of the day in question. Whilst this isn’t unusual for any event whether that be the larger, state sponsored events or street performers, the frequency of viral moments on social media can help to elevate unknown artists overnight, specifically where the increasingly algorithmic nature of social media assets help to drive traffic surrounding the festival including the promotions run by street performers to the screens of those who are most likely to enjoy them.  At the same time, future attendees can send posts regarding prospective acts to their friends who upon spreading the word to their circles can help to create the necessary buzz.

Contrastingly, state sponsored events, relying on adverts and news reports for the most part, fail to capture the attention of Fêtes largest demographic - younger Europeans looking to unwind.

credits: tmstakess

A Changing Pulse

In tandem with this, is the shifting cultural tone of the festival that has helped to support smaller artists more in tune with the current musical landscape across Western Europe. Well known afro-beats, pop and R&B fusion artist Amaarae graced Parisians with her set that went live on Twitch. Despite her prominent place in the musical landscape, she still managed to host yet another free event, providing room for all interested parties to engage with her sound. She has collaborated with well known black artists across the diaspora like Kali Uchis, whilst fortifying a well-crafted singularity for her brand. Her inclusion into the festival alongside others like Jayo performing his summer hit Genesis, speaks to where Fête de la Musique continues to be defined by its attendees. Where a majority of those who took the streets this year belong to a black international demographic, the DIY performances which are often catered to their interests have overshadowed those events held in Paris’ most esteemed establishments.

The increasing formidability of street parties and non-ticketed events at Fête is being recognised by institutions as well as the festival’s spectators.

This year’s Fête de la Musique at the Élysée Palace was, for the first time, held on the 20th - a full day ahead of the traditional nationwide celebration on the 21st, causing intrigue as to why the break in tradition was initiated. Officially, the event’s organisers cited consideration for the week’s closing concert the following day. From a more sceptical standpoint however, the move may have been a calculated and clever response to the crowded cultural calendar. With France Music Week wrapping up on Saturday, organizers likely anticipated that June 21 would be saturated with events across Paris and the Île-de-France region. By pulling the Élysée’s festivities forward a day, they carved out space for the Palace’s lineup, following the direction of independent artists and performers.

Takeaway

Overtime, what began as a government initiative to celebrate music has over the decades, become a canvas for liberated expression. Here, the ever-changing faces of the festival’s audience continue to determine the acts that are catered to them. As such, this year's Fête didn’t just call for democratisation, but rather demonstrated where it has already been implemented, proving that the festival's future has been taken out of state-sponsored hands.