In 1982, the French Ministry of Culture observed that 1 in 2 French citizens played an instrument, but there was nowhere free and public for them to do so. In an effort to address this, one year later, the government organised the inaugural Fête de la Musique: a festival designed to promote free music concerts and performances across France. The holiday, often called “World Music Day” internationally, brings visitors from all over the world – and this year was no different. By June 21, over 2 million people from all over the world flocked to Paris to experience the annual Fête de la Musique holiday.

Since COVID, there has been a resurgence in party destinations and cultural celebrations across the Black diaspora: Notting Hill Carnival in London, Juneteenth in the US, Detty December in Ghana, and so many more. Fête de la Musique in Paris is part of this ongoing trend. In recent years, the annual event has become a sensation on TikTok, where clips of hundreds of people singing and dancing in the Paris streets regularly go viral. In particular, there has been an increase in attendance by young people across the Black diaspora, with heritage spanning Haiti, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa and more. While Fête de la Musique has always showcased a variety of genres, the growing diversity of Blackness at the festival has led to a greater diversity of music: now more than ever, you’ll find French rap, zouk, soca, kompa and everything in between.

DJs Titaï and Stephane Maimable both understand the power of music, and how it travels through communities. “I’m preparing all my sets to play [something] different in each place,” Maimable, who goes by DJ Phaphane and has roots in French Guiana and Haiti, tells Dazed. “I don’t want to hear the same songs the whole weekend. We are tired, and people are not coming into France to hear the same songs that they can listen to in their country.”

Titaï, a French-Haitian DJ who has played Fête de la Musique for the last three years, agrees: “It’s the time of the Afro: Afrohouse, Afrobeats, Afro people.” As he sees it, genres like rock, electronic, and hip-hop have had their turn on the world stage. Now it’s time for Black diasporic music to get its turn.   

Like anything that finds popularity on TikTok, Fête de la musique generated a lot of online discourse in the months leading up to June 21. Timelines were flooded with hundreds of videos by British influencers sharing accommodation tips, mistakes to avoid, and best parties to attend during the weekend. While many first-time attendees were appreciative in the comments, British and French creators alike expressed concern over the “gentrification” and “colonisation” of the celebration by British visitors. With a surge in ticketed afterparties during the weekend, many feared that the holiday’s purpose would be diluted, and that it risked turning into another monetised celebration defined by exorbitant event prices and curated itineraries, rather than something free and spontaneous. 

“It’s strange how much [British tourists] are changing what it was,” says Joseph Emiri, a French-Nigerian model who has lived in both the UK and US. “Originally, Fête de la musique wasn't something where you're looking for what event you're gonna pay for. It’s a celebration of music in general, so it’s just block parties on block parties on block parties.
You walk through any street, you can have a good time. I have nothing against the excitement of it. [But] the way they’re trying to monetise it so much is taking the fun out of it.”

One of the most sought after paid events during the weekend was thrown by British event organizers, 1Way Events, who describe their role as throwing events “for the people, by the people.” Two of their four events last weekend sold out within hours, only for tickets to resell for double — even triple — the original price. For many, the pricing and popularity of these events are in conflict with the purpose of Fête de la Musique. 

In response to this criticism, Kareem Francis, head of operations and logistics at 1Way Events, notes that they didn’t intend to capitalise on the holiday, explaining that the opportunities originated from French venues and organizers. “It’s interesting when I see people complaining online, because [the venues] came to us to do something here. We didn’t necessarily go out and search”, he explains. “It was actually the opportunity that came and then we were like, ‘You know what? Let's do it’.”

On the question of ticket prices, Francis points to the costs associated with organizing events in Paris. “There’s a cost for the venue, it can’t be free,” he says. “It’s actually more expensive here than it is in London. Also, just the cost of coming over, hotels, et cetera. We’re not really here for profit. We’re just here to experience French culture.” Still, it seems clear that experiencing French culture doesn’t necessarily require throwing an event there – nor, given the numerous free events hosted by Colors on Sunday evening, does it have to involve charging for entry.

Regardless, while conversations around the changing nature of Fête de la Musique are warranted, it’s not the whole story. Yes, the holiday gained traction on social media, but the people who travelled from all over the world stayed to experience more than that. The Black diaspora – British, French, Americans, and Africans alike – came to experience France with each other through zouk, kompa, amapiano. Regardless of TikTok discourse, the Black diaspora taking over Paris last weekend meant more than social media and a holiday. It spoke to the burgeoning power and joy the Black diaspora holds as a community, celebrating and enjoying our music together.