What is Make Music New York?

Celebrating NYC Music Makers and open to all.

Make Music New York is New York City’s only music festival for the people and by the people!

We are a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission celebrates the musician in all of us, connects New Yorkers to their communities and with each other, brings bold new artistic creations to life, unites diverse communities in a spirit of celebration and energizes the shared social spaces that make NYC a cultural capital.

Our mission is ambitious, inclusive, adventurous and fun, and we accomplish it by producing two annual citywide celebrations: our flagship festival, Make Music New York, held each summer solstice on June 21st–the longest day of the year–and Make Music Winter, a complimentary series of participatory musical parades held each winter solstice on December 21st–the longest night of the year.

On these special “music holidays,” music makers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds are empowered to take center stage and share their skills and passions through live performances in public plazas and parks, on sidewalks and in front of shops, and in partnership with cultural institutions and businesses across all five boroughs.

Over 1,000 free and participatory concerts each year.

Now in it’s 18th year, Make Music New York is a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City. All of the performances take place annually on June 21st, the first day of summer and longest day of the year. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music New York is open to anyone who wants to take part. From ten in the morning to ten at night, every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, sidewalks, parks and plazas to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Thousands of amateur musicians take the opportunity to play in public spaces, often for the biggest crowds of their lives. Professional musicians perform for new audiences, who come out from under their headphones to hear unfamiliar groups risk-free. And everyone is invited to sing or play along and enjoy the first day of summer in a spirit of celebration. With over 1,000 concerts each year, Make Music New York includes a number of signature projects: “Mass Appeal Concerts,” in which dozens of musicians band together to perform massive pieces written for a specific type of instrument; “Punk Island”; “Porch Stomp” folk festival; “Street Studios,” and many more.

Some 5,000 musicians performed in the summer of 2019. Along with concerts by individual artists, Make Music New York proudly partners with dozens of fellow NYC presenters and cultural institutions — including Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Broklyn Public Library, Governors Island, Joe’s Pub, Madison Square Park, Marcus Garvey Park, National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York Public Library, Randall’s Island, Times Square Alliance and many more.

Celebrated in 80+ U.S. cities and over 120 countries.

Make Music New York is inspired by France’s “Fête de la Musique,” a national musical holiday inaugurated in 1982. Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 750 cities in 120 countries, including Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Australia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, and Japan.

In North America, the Make Music Alliance, with support from NAMM Foundation, facilitates over eighty June 21st celebrations, including Make Music Boston, Make Music Chicago, Make Music Los Angeles, Make Music Madison (WI), and many others. Visit Make Music Day to learn more and activate your community.