About
International Make Music Day originated in France (see more below). The idea was for a day where free music would be everywhere. That day is the same as the Summer Solstice, every year. This year, the date is Sunday, June 21st.
In Aberdeen, SD, this just so happens to coincide with our annual summer arts festival, Arts in the Park. This year we are celebrating our 50th anniversary!
On the Saturday evening of the festival, we will be having a concert featuring the local band (pictured here), Crash Landing.
Participate
Join in on the fun, wherever you are! Use the link below to create your own event, join an event, or list your self as a performer so that event locations can find you!
We also always have music lined up at Arts in the park, when you follow the link, you’ll see there is already an event created for Arts in the Park. Sign up as a performer and request a performance time at Arts in the Park!
https://aberdeensd.makemusicday.org
This is absolutely free!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
Aberdeen Area Arts Council
artscouncil@nvc.net
605-226-1557
Support
International Make Music Day is free for all to participate!
If you want to learn more about the Aberdeen Arts Council, and supporting the Arts in the Aberdeen Area – learn about that here
Where this Originated
It all started 44 years ago in France.
In 1982, France’s Ministry of Culture dreamed up an idea for a new kind of musical holiday. They imagined a day where free music would be everywhere, all around each city: street corners, parks, rooftops, gardens, and store fronts.
And, unlike a typical music festival, anyone and everyone would be invited to join and play music, or host performances. The event would take place on the summer solstice, June 21, and would be called Fête De La Musique. (In French, the name means both “festival of music” and “make music”.)
Amazingly enough, this dream has come true. The Fête has turned into a true national holiday: the country shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 11% of French people (7 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique, and 64% of the country (43 million people) comes out each year to listen.
Four decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 2,000 cities across dozens of countries.
Twenty years ago, the Fête de la Musique crossed the Atlantic with the debut of Make Music New York.
Starting as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers, the event quickly became a critical and popular success. Today, thousands of New York musicians – amateurs and professionals, of all ages and musical persuasions – perform in hundreds of free, outdoor concerts each June 21, earning praise for their “inspiring” (New York Times) and “thrilling” (New Yorker) performances.
In recent years, cities across the country have launched their own Make Music celebrations on June 21, making this musical holiday a truly national phenomenon.
On June 21, 2025, 147 U.S. cities organized 5,471 free concerts, with over 100 each in Chattanooga TN, Fullerton CA, Kansas City MO, Madison WI, Montclair NJ, New York NY, Salem OR, and San Jose CA…all on a single day.
In 2014, to coordinate and expand their efforts, Make Music organizers from across North America founded the Make Music Alliance.
Contact
Get in touch with us at aberdeensd@makemusicday.org.
Aberdeen Area Arts Council
Grace Chipman
artscouncil@nvc.net
605-226-1557