30 Years of the Fête de la Musique

A stylised, exuberant crowd with a musical instrument and notes swirling through the air, capturing the festive spirit of the music festival celebrated in France since 1981 on the summer solstice. Above appear the words "Fête de la MUSIQUE" and the date "21 JUIN 2011". Along the upper right of the inner field the inscription "30e ANNIVERSAIRE". At the bottom the letters "RF" for the issuing country.

The Fête de la Musique was launched in 1981 on the initiative of the French Ministry of Culture under Jack Lang - originally as part of a state cultural policy aimed at making music accessible to broad sections of society. The date, 21 June, the longest day of the year, was deliberately chosen: the summer solstice was seen as a symbolic starting point for filling public space with sound. What began as a Parisian experiment quickly grew into a national event: professional and amateur musicians alike have since played free of charge in squares, streets and parks - with no admission fee and no commercial framework. The name itself is a play on words: in French, "Fête de la Musique" sounds almost identical to "Faites de la musique" - make music.

By its 30th anniversary in 2011, the format had spread far beyond France: similar events now take place on this date in more than 120 countries, from Berlin to Tokyo. In France itself, the Fête de la Musique is among the most attended cultural events of the year, drawing millions of participants in Paris alone. The musical range spans classical orchestras, jazz and rock through to electronic music - what sets the format apart from classic festivals is its deliberate openness to all genres and skill levels. France marked the 30th anniversary of this cultural festival in 2011 with its own 2-euro commemorative coin.