Fête de la Musique
The big free musical celebration in the streets of Tours every June 21st
2026
About Fête de la Musique
Fête de la Musique — edition 2026
The 2026 Fête de la Musique in Tours will be celebrated on Sunday, June 21st, the summer solstice, with indoor concerts starting as early as Saturday, June 20th. Hundreds of free performances will take place across the city: stages in parks (Mirabeau, Île Aucard, la Gloriette, and the Prébendes gardens), street music and salsa in the Old Town, and two venues usually closed to the public opening their doors for the occasion: the Préfecture park and the Palais de justice patio. The Opéra de Tours will also feature five concerts performed by its popular ensembles.
2026 Edition
The 2026 Fête de la Musique takes place in Tours on Sunday, June 21st, the national date for the summer solstice, with a preview of indoor concerts starting on Saturday, June 20th. From 3:00 PM until late into the night, hundreds of free concerts will bring the streets, squares (place Plumereau, rue Nationale, place Jean-Jaurès), bar and restaurant terraces, and parks to life, driven largely by local residents, associations, and artists: brass bands, rap, hip-hop, rock, jazz, and instrumental music.
Two locations usually closed to the public are opening their doors for the event. The parc de la Préfecture (13 place de la Préfecture) will host four groups on Sunday afternoon from 3:45 PM to 8:00 PM, ranging from the Firefighters' Orchestra to the Claviers de Tours group. Just a short walk away, the patio and garden courtyard of the Palais de justice will welcome the Celtic Orchestra Piping Society from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, featuring twelve kilt-wearing musicians celebrating Celtic culture.
The city's parks are another highlight: DJ sets at parc Mirabeau, Île Aucard, and parc de la Gloriette, with jazz and eclectic music at the lac de la Bergeonnerie and the jardin des Prébendes d'Oé. The Old Town takes over in the evening with street performances, musical parades, and salsa, particularly along rue des Halles and rue du Commerce.
The Opéra de Tours is participating with five concerts spread across June 20th and 21st, bringing together the Opera Choir, the Popular Choir, the Popular Orchestra, the Popular Youth Choir, and the À Voix Hautes choir—some are free to access on the forecourt (peristyle), while others in the Main Hall require reservations. The Municipal Library (Central Library Atrium) will also host a contemporary gospel concert by the Rain'Bow ensemble, l'Harmonie au Féminin, on Saturday, June 20th, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and the Tours Conservatory will present the end-of-year concert for its early music department.
Getting there and back
The Fil Bleu network is offering a flat fare of €1.90 valid all day on June 21st across the entire network. Tram line A and bus line 2 will have increased frequency (every 20 minutes instead of 30) and will run until 12:40 AM, with night buses N1 and N2 operating throughout the night from Sunday to Monday. Food trucks and several first-aid stations will be set up at the main public gathering points.
Highlights Fête de la Musique 2026
- Special opening of the Préfecture park, 3:45 PM – 8:00 PM on Sunday: Firefighters' Orchestra, Amrat Hussain & Family, Gin Fizz Trip, Mallet Workshop
- Celtic Orchestra Piping Society in the Palais de justice patio, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- DJ sets from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM at parc Mirabeau, Île Aucard, and parc de la Gloriette
- Jazz and eclectic music at the lac de la Bergeonnerie and the Prébendes gardens, 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- Street concerts, parades, and salsa in the Old Town from 8:00 PM (rue des Halles, rue du Commerce)
- Five concerts by the Opéra de Tours and a gospel concert at the Central Library
Programme Fête de la Musique 2026
Saturday, June 20th, 2026
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Rain'Bow, l'Harmonie au Féminin (contemporary gospel) · Central Library, Atrium (monumental staircase) · free access
- 8:00 PM — Concert by the Popular Choir, Popular Youth Choir, and Opera Choir · Opéra de Tours, Main Hall · reservation required
Sunday, June 21st, 2026
- 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM — Celtic Orchestra Piping Society (twelve musicians in kilts, Celtic music) · Palais de justice, patio and garden courtyard · special opening
- 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM — Open stage for pianists of all levels · Espace musical et vocal Ockeghem, 15 place de Châteauneuf
- 3:00 PM – 1:00 AM — DJ sets · Parc Mirabeau, Île Aucard, and parc de la Gloriette
- 3:45 PM – 8:00 PM — Parc de la Préfecture, 13 place de la Préfecture (special gate opening):
- 4:00 PM — Firefighters' Orchestra
- 5:00 PM — Amrat Hussain & Family
- 6:00 PM — Gin Fizz Trip (Tours trio)
- 7:00 PM — Mallet Workshop, Claviers de Tours group
- 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM — Jazz and eclectic music concerts · Lac de la Bergeonnerie and jardin des Prébendes d'Oé
- 5:15 PM – 5:35 PM — « À Voix Hautes » Choir · Opéra de Tours, forecourt (peristyle) · free, no reservation required
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM — Concert by the Popular Choir, Popular Youth Choir, and Opera Choir · Opéra de Tours, Main Hall · reservation required
- From 8:00 PM — Street concerts, musical parades, and salsa · Old Town, notably rue des Halles and rue du Commerce
- 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM — Concert by the Popular Orchestra · Opéra de Tours, Main Hall · reservation required
Throughout Tours, hundreds of free concerts will take over the streets, squares, and terraces all day and evening on June 21st: place Plumereau, rue Nationale, place Jean-Jaurès, the banks of the Loire, and the city's parks and gardens. Tours Métropole Val de Loire provides an interactive map of the program, updated in real-time.
Prices Fête de la Musique 2026
Fête de la Musique — 2027 edition
The 2026 edition was held from 20 June to 21 June 2026. The dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Fête de la Musique
Practical Information
Dates
June 21st every year (and sometimes the evening before).
Locations
Throughout the city of Tours: squares, streets, parks, terraces, bars, restaurants, inner courtyards, and institutional sites.
Prices
- All concerts: Free (except for potential reservations for certain Opéra concerts)
Transportation
Tram line A, buses from the Fil Bleu network. The city center is largely pedestrianized. Vinci underground parking available.
Tours vibrates to the rhythm of music every June 21st
The Fête de la Musique is one of the highlights of Touraine's cultural life. Every June 21st, the day of the summer solstice and a symbolic date chosen by Jack Lang in 1982, the city of Tours transforms into a huge open-air stage. Hundreds of free concerts invade the streets, squares, parks, terraces, and inner courtyards of the city, offering a unique and accessible musical experience for everyone.
All styles, all locations
From Place Plumereau, the historic and festive heart of the old town, to Rue Nationale, via Place Jean-Jaurès, the Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé, and the banks of the Loire, every corner of Tours hosts a concert or musical performance. Rock, jazz, French chanson, classical music, electro, hip-hop, reggae, world music, brass bands, and choirs: all musical genres are represented, performed by both amateur musicians seizing the opportunity to play in public and local and regional professional artists.
The Opéra de Tours celebrates
The Opéra de Tours plays a special role during the Fête de la Musique by offering concerts featuring the various ensembles of the Opéra populaire: the Opéra Choir, the Popular Choir, the Popular Orchestra, the Popular Children's Choir, and the À Voix Hautes choir. In 2026, four concerts are scheduled for June 20th and 21st, some by reservation and others free of charge, offering the Tours audience a quality musical experience in a prestigious setting.
A popular and participatory festival
The spirit of the Fête de la Musique is based on free access, spontaneity, and everyone's participation. Bars and restaurants open their terraces to musicians, cultural associations set up ephemeral stages, and the pedestrian streets of Tours become the scene of a huge musical happening that brings together all generations. The event traditionally continues late into the night, making this evening the longest and most musical of the year.
Where does it take place — Fête de la Musique
Fête de la Musique in brief
History of Fête de la Musique
Edition 2025 Jun 2025Other festivals near Tours
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