Every year on 21 June, Paris celebrates the summer solstice in the most Parisian way possible: by filling the streets with music. Created in 1982 on the initiative of Jack Lang, the Fête de la Musique turns the whole city into a free festival open to everyone — from jazz cellars to cathedral forecourts, from Pigalle bars to museum courtyards. In 2026, the event falls on Sunday 21 June, with entertainment expected from late afternoon until deep into the night.
From the Hôtel R de Paris, the 9th arrondissement is one of the best starting points for the evening: nearly all of the venues mentioned below can be reached on foot, with no transport needed.
The confirmed 2026 programme in the 9th
For the 2026 edition, several events have already been announced in the neighbourhood, just a few minutes' walk from the hotel:
- France Inter fête la musique — The Olympia (28 bd des Capucines): the radio station's big free evening, from 9 pm to midnight, with Chilly Gonzales, Makala, Ino Casablanca and Mehdi Maïzi. Free entry subject to capacity — keep an eye out for the announcement of access arrangements.
- Paris Mozart Orchestra — 9th arrondissement town hall (6 rue Drouot): Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" with free access, for a classical interlude in the heart of the arrondissement.
- Maggie Music — Hôtel Rochechouart (55 bd Marguerite de Rochechouart): a DJ set spanning funk, groove, hip-hop, jazz, world music and electro, from 3 pm to 11 pm, on one of the neighbourhood's finest rooftops.
- Musical journey through the islands of Japan, Okinawa & Amami — Shinjuku Pigalle (52 rue Condorcet): a world-music set from 7.30 pm to 10 pm, a stone's throw from Pigalle.
The 9th's programme keeps growing in the days leading up to 21 June: the full official details are published on fetedelamusique.culture.gouv.fr and on paris.fr.
The spots that come alive every year in the neighbourhood
Beyond the official programme, some venues in the 9th vibrate almost without fail on the evening of 21 June:
- Place Pigalle — the 9th arrondissement's epicentre for Fête de la Musique. Every year the square erupts into a lively open-air party with concerts and DJ sets, creating an electric atmosphere from late afternoon through to the early morning.
- Forecourt of the Opéra Garnier (place de l'Opéra) — open-air concerts against one of Paris's most beautiful backdrops, with classical or pop depending on the year.
- Rue de Douai — DJ sets and electro, funk and house concerts in a festive street atmosphere. Several bars along the street usually take part every year with outdoor stages.
- Place Gustave Toudouze — a small square in the 9th with a village feel, animated by local concerts and DJ sets, with drinks stands run by bars in the area.
- Église Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (rue de Châteaudun) — concerts built around the historic Aristide Cavaillé-Coll organ, with a more classical and contemplative mood.
