Fête de la Musique Returns to Beijing With 6 Free Concerts, Jun 18-23

Will Griffith | Jun 14, 2018 11:30 am | Add a comment | 2074 reads

Fête de la Musique returns once again, taking over Beijing for just one evening – Thursday, Jun 21 – to celebrate World Music Day. Launched in France in 1982, the annual festival of live music has found its way to over one hundred countries, including China as of 2012. Since then, music lovers have been looking forward to each summer solstice, as patrons can be treated to various music acts in some of Beijing’s hottest venues.

As always, the festivities kick off early, with a with a sun-soaked rock and roll warm-up party on the afternoon of Monday, Jun 18, perfect for lazing away Dragon Boat Festival at 77 Theatre in Meridian Space. On the bill is American underground rock legend, singer, and founder of Australian rock outfit Radio Birdman, Deniz Tek, as well as Shanghai's sax-wielding party rockers Round Eye, gypsy jazz staples Mademoiselle et son Orchestre and The Hot Club of Beijing, and visiting French math rockers Lysistrata and Belgian hip-hop duo Les R’tardataires.

The real fireworks set off on Thursday, Jun 21, where Mao Livehouse in Wukesong, Omni Space in Tianqiao, and Yue Space in Gulou will be hosting this year’s guests of honor – a diverse offering of French acts including disco-invoking rock outfit Pony Pony Run Run, funk-filled bossa nova electro-pop group Cléa Vincent, math rock noise poppers, as well as techno blazers Ghost of Christmas and returning indie rock champs Colours in the Street.

Some of China’s fiercest talents will also be present, including Shaoxing’s instrumental rock trailblazers Little Wizard, Wuhan’s retro punk stalwarts AV Okubo (pictured at top), as well some of Beijing's own Fishdoll, Future Orients, L+R, Acid Accident, and Mimik Banka. Finally, the afterparty at Temple will be hosted by electro-rock queen Da Bang. Alternatively, if it's behind the decks that you prefer, there's also a sound engineering workshop at Yue Space on Sunday, Jun 17. 

If that wasn’t enough, the party continues into the weekend with a family-friendly afterparty outing at Chaoyangmen’s esteemed Solana digs – with an upbeat afternoon lineup of fun with sets from indie folk rockers Uncle Hu, blues rippers Great Buffalo Blues, singer-songwriter Sid Silwal, and jazz poppers Parakeet. 

Don’t forget – it’s all free since the idea behind the festival is to get as many folks out as possible to honor both the local scene and rock out with some of France's finest.

Full Schedule 

77 Theatre - Jun 18, 2pm

  • Les Retardataires (BEL)
  • Lysistrata (FR)
  • Mademoiselle et son Orchestre (FR)
  • Roundeye (Shanghai)
  • Deniz Tek (US)

Mao Livehouse - Jun 21, 8pm

  • Ghost of Christmas (FR)
  • Pony Pony Run Run (FR)
  • AV大久保 AV Okubo
  • Future Orients

Yue Space - Jun 21, 8pm

  • Clea Vincent (FR)
  • Mimik Banka 表情银行
  • L+R
  • Fishdoll 渔

Omni Space - Jun 21, 8pm

  • Lysistrata (FR)
  • Colours in The Street (FR)
  • Little Wizard 小巫师
  • Acid Accident 酸性事件

Temple (afterparty) - Jun 21, 11.50pm

  • Da Bang 大棒

Solana - Jun 23, 2pm

  • Uncle Hu
  • Great Buffalo Blues 
  • Sid Silwal
  • Parakeet

Images courtesy of the organizers, Laurent Hou