Bandsintown LIVE is programming a special livestream edition of Fête de la Musique / Make Music Day on June 21. The line-up, made in collaboration with Le Bureau Export’s recommendation brand What the France, will showcase 20 made-in-France acts, including Soul & Folk songwriter Ayo, electronic hitmaker Kungs and singer Kiddy Smile (catapulted to fame by The Gossip’s Beth Ditto).

It’s a new, digital version of the music-for-all initiative that originated in France, held every year in squares and streets around the world at Midsummer. All donations will go to the artists participating, as well as to charities that support social justice, including the NAACP.

The initiative has gathered support from the French Bureau Export’s “What the France”, Sacem, Ville de Paris, the French Embassy in the United States, TV5 Monde, The Federation of the French Alliances Francaises and the Alliance Francaise Foundation, the French Institute Alliance Française of NY, FIAF and The Alliance Française of Greenwich, CT.

“Fête de la Musique / Make Music Day focuses on bringing people together to celebrate music and artists, which is at the core of Bandsintown’s mission,” explains Managing Partner Fabrice Sergent. “We need initiatives that unite people, and support equality, diversity and love for one another, which is what music and Make Music Day are all about. This year, we were not ready to give that up, hence the decision to take the festivities online.”

“When Bandsintown and Sacem asked us to collaborate to this event, we instantly thought that it could be a unique opportunity for What the France to play it‘s core mission which is to highlight France’s musical diversity and creativity for an international audience. And we believe this line up matches perfectly, with a great range of talented artists.”

– Marc Thonon, Le Bureau Export’s CEO

Fête de la Musique began in France, but has taken root in communities across the world. On the summer solstice in 1982, musicians took to the streets of Paris to make music for the first Fête de la Musique. The event, often called Make Music Day, became a global tradition over the years, eventually spreading to 120 countries, where performers of a range of levels and styles turn public spaces into music venues. The democratic, joyful spirit of coming together to make or savor live music remains unstoppable, even amid unprecedented challenges to in-person live music performances.