On Tuesday June 21st 2022, Fête de la Musique celebrates its 27th Berlin edition. From dawn till dusk, every street, subway, and späti is transformed into a music venue in its own right.
With over 80 official concert venues lined up for gigs of every kind, Fête de la Musique is as diverse as any music festival in the world.
What began as a community quirk in the Parisian arrondissements in 1982 has since blossomed into an international tradition and nowhere more so than here in Berlin.
Over the past two years, the pandemic shook many core tenets of the Fête de la Musique: outdoor space, free movement, and the crowds of guests that link the two together.
Having survived ably in an online format, the 2022 edition will be a genuine return to the Fête de la Musique as it was always meant to be.
This year, Fête de la Musique has chosen Neukölln as its partner district, placing a special focus on a kiez known for it’s younger crowd, nightclubs, and DIY music scene.
While a large number of the planned concerts will take place in Neukölln specifically, this is a city wide affair. Its ambitious scope is important as it is more than just a party, or a celebration of the Sun’s long awaited return. Fête de la Musique is crucially important reminder that cities are not just for work, but for living, too.
Regardless of how long you have been here, the extent to which Berlin is reanimated under the summer’s sun is always astounding. As the city’s trademark eccentricity ekes its way out of the woodwork slowly at first, and then all at once.
The Fête, which has never really been about spotlights or stages, is the archetype of that special summer energy. Intentionally seeking out the rank amateurs, hobbyists and enthusiasts, its energy glows lamp-like, swelling every square inch of every street corner, shortening the shadows of the stars as its softer hues illuminate instead the endless cast of buskers and bards that Berlin calls home.
Visit fetedelamusique.de for further information.