International Music Day 2017 is back again

There is under a month to go until this year’s international Music Day celebrations hits the UK.

Music Day is a connected set of free public music events taking place each year on 21st June in over 100 countries and 700 cities around the world. The festival has been officially taking place in the UK since 2012 and is a fun and vibrant celebration of music in all its forms. It’s a truly grassroots event with no sponsorship or ulterior motives – just localised, low-impact events for the community. Many of the events are family-friendly and the day is also about DIY participation and cultural exchange.

Music Day events come in the shape of gigs, festivals, workshops, sing-a-longs, club nights – you name it! The proviso is that all events created for Music Day are free of charge and open to the public. In other countries the idea revolves around bringing music out onto the streets and public spaces. This attitude is encouraged in the United Kingdom, though most events take place in established venues as it’s logistically easier.

All #MusicDay2017 events are listed on an interactive map on the central website: www.musicday.org.uk

Music Day UK, is a small collective of musicians and music-lovers who have been working voluntarily to be the official co-ordinators of British contributions to the international Music Day phenomenon since 2012.

This is an annual event which takes place across the globe on 21 June, the longest day of the year and our midsummer solstice. The event is also known as Fête de la Musique, having originated in France, and the idea is simple – a celebration of music in all its forms in a variety of locations which is free of charge and fully accessible to the public.

It will be the 35th international Music Day in 2017 and the sixth consecutive year that the event takes place in the United Kingdom under the guidance of Music Day UK.