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The Fête de la Musique, long unknown outside of France, has become a must-see event for many European visitors. Fueled by the festive videos that circulate annually on social media, the event now attracts thousands of tourists to Paris, particularly from the United Kingdom, to experience a night of concerts and celebrations in the capital’s streets. Some British people told BFM why they were determined to make the trip… at the risk of ruffling a few feathers among the French attendees.
Thousands of free street concerts, an all-night party, and the capital just a two-hour train ride away: that was all it took to convince Britons to cross the Channel this weekend. This year, several thousand visitors from across Europe, and especially the UK, are expected in the capital for the Fête de la Musique (World Music Day ), which will take place on the evening of Sunday, June 21.
Popularized abroad by the festive images that circulate each year on TikTok and Instagram, the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival) now attracts thousands of European visitors, particularly from the United Kingdom. In recent days, Eurostar trains between London and Paris have been fully booked. According to our information, the operator recorded a 21% increase in passenger numbers on Friday, June 19, compared to a typical Friday in June.
Travelers also planned their trips further in advance, with bookings made more than two months ahead up 60% compared to a typical Friday. Overall, traffic between London and Paris is up 22% compared to 2024 projections, according to the Channel Tunnel high-speed rail operator.
“People know how to have fun, to enjoy themselves.”
Yasmine Pirez is one of those who planned ahead: this young Englishwoman, attending the Fête de la Musique for the second year in a row, bought her tickets three months ago. On Wednesday, the 22-year-old Londoner boarded the Eurostar with about ten friends for a long weekend of festivities in the heart of Paris. On Sunday, she plans to take them to the Châtelet-Les Halles area, where artists will be performing from the afternoon until late evening.
“I convinced loads of new people to come with me this year,” says the young woman, a content creator who says she discovered the event by chance two years ago while scrolling through TikTok. “When I saw the videos, I loved the vibe: the sun, the dancing crowd, the music, all those beautiful people. I thought it looked like so much fun, the fact that everything takes place outdoors, in the streets, and I wanted to come. It’s a whole atmosphere, that’s what attracts everyone!”
The young woman, an influencer in the UK, recounts having one of the best nights of her life at the Fête de la Musique last year. “I loved it last year, you know. Compared to that, London seems incredibly boring. I had so much fun,” she recalls. “I danced in restaurants, I met amazing people from the US, Switzerland, and other British people. It’s unforgettable!” “In France, it’s just good vibes, people know how to dance, have fun, enjoy themselves, the weather’s beautiful, everyone’s happy…”
“It has become an unmissable event for us in the UK. On social media, everyone is talking about it and on the Eurostar, we made friends with lots of other Brits who were there just for that,” she adds.
Neighborhood festivals that are now attracting international visitors
Joseph Cole, a 21-year-old Londoner, is one of those English people who discovered the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival) on TikTok and Instagram, and who want to repeat the experience after a successful 2025 edition. “The first time I saw the atmosphere in those videos, I said ‘I want to be there!’, ‘I absolutely have to go there!’, ‘party with the French’,” jokes the young man, who was not disappointed by the trip.
“The food was amazing, the people gathering around the music, it was beautiful to see.”
That’s why, this year, this accounting student also managed to convince seven friends, twice as many as last year, to join him. As early as January, the eight young men booked their train tickets and rented an Airbnb for five days in the heart of Paris for the occasion, so they could do some sightseeing.
Shad Tiago is also coming to Paris for the “Fête,” as the English call it, for the second time in a row. The young Englishman hopes to see artists like Vegedream, Mimii KDS, Ronisia, and Tiakola perform. “Last year I was amazed by the format of the event,” says the TikTok content creator. “I felt like I understood what this festival meant to you French people, like I was completely embraced by French culture.”
With stars still in their eyes, Shad and his friends remember wandering all evening through different parts of Paris to attend concerts of all kinds of music, to have “danced”, and “socialized for hours with locals and other travelers”.
“We were pleasantly surprised, and above all I was shocked to see such a vibrant, lively city. And, honestly, the best part of it all is that it’s all free! I love how you French make sure things are accessible to everyone, it creates an exceptional energy where everyone is included, regardless of their origin, background, religion, or tastes,” he continues.
“Stay in London”
The international reach of the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival) is also raising concerns. In recent weeks, several French people have expressed their fear that the event is straying from its original spirit. This is the case for Leila Frenet, a 28-year-old French influencer who has been living in London for three years, who worries that the British will import “their consumer culture with paid events, whereas the Fête de la Musique was not designed for that.”
A development she firmly rejects: “Stay in London if that’s what you’re going to do.”
The Fête de la Musique, created in 1982, has become one of the most popular cultural events in France. Every year at the summer solstice, amateurs and professionals alike take over the streets, squares, and parks across the country for free concerts open to all. This year, “we expect a Fête de la Musique similar in scale to last year’s,” predicts Pierre Rabadan, Paris’ Deputy Mayor for Nightlife, speaking to AFP, with “roughly between 3% and 4%” increase in bookings.
But the authorities hadn’t anticipated the interest from young Britons, and indeed from Europeans more broadly, starting in 2025, admits Lamia El Aaraje, Paris’s first deputy mayor in charge of security, among other things, to the press agency. Because the British aren’t the only ones drawn to the French street festivities: many young Germans, Belgians, Dutch, Americans, and even some Australians plan to travel to Paris this year.
This is the case of Jimmy, 25, a data analyst in Amsterdam. On Thursday, he drove from the Dutch capital with a friend to Paris to experience the Fête de la Musique for the first time.
When asked about the reasons for the success of the Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) among young Britons of his generation, Shad also immediately replies: “Social media .” “Everyone loves music,” the young Englishman continues. “In the UK, apart from Notting Hill Carnival (a popular carnival that takes place every last weekend of August in London), we don’t have a comparable event, and it’s an opportunity for many of us to come and visit Paris, which isn’t too far away.”
Just like Shad, Joseph’s group of friends hasn’t planned anything in particular: “We’re going to go with the flow, to be honest, we’ll see where the wind takes us.” He simply hopes to survive the heatwave that’s likely to hit Paris and the rest of France this weekend, with temperatures potentially reaching 40°C in some areas.
“The heatwave here is insane, it’s no joke! We were shocked when we got off the train; it’s nothing like the heat back home,” exclaimed Joseph, contacted on Friday, echoing Yasmine’s sentiments. Yasmine plans to keep her water bottle and small electric fan with her throughout the evening. “It scares me a lot, but I’ve already chosen my outfit, and I can tell you I’m not planning on wearing too many clothes!” she added, laughing.
Due to the heatwave , this 2026 edition is marked by unprecedented restrictions, including a ban on alcohol consumption in departments placed under red alert .
In Brive-la-Gaillarde, Alfortville, Saint-Savinien, Le Teich, Ecommoy, and Souilly, the municipalities opted to cancel the event as a precaution. In other cities, such as Angers, the festivities are being modified or adapted to take weather conditions into account, favoring concerts in tree-lined or shaded areas, for example.
In Paris, however, the authorities have ruled out any last-minute cancellations. According to Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, “many expenses have been incurred by community organizations and we will have many foreign visitors, particularly from English-speaking countries, if I am to believe the indicators, just like last year.”