Of all of the events one may envision at the French presidential palace, a rave may rank relatively low, but in this case, one would be wrong. The French presidency hosted an electronic music show in the courtyard of the Élysée palace on the country’s Music Day as part of the 37th annual Fête de la Musique, also known as Music Day. 

The festival was founded in 1981 when Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music and Dance with the mantra "the music everywhere and the concert nowhere.” Upon discovering that five million French citizens played a musical instrument, he debuted the very first Fête de la Musique in 1982 in Paris. Since then, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries.

This marks the first-ever electronic music event to take place at the presidential palace. Officially dubbed Élysée Fête La Musique, the 4 hour concert is a celebration of  “French Touch,” a style of French electronic music popularized in the ‘90s by famous artists including Daft Punk, Cassius, Modjo, Justice and Etienne de Crecy. 

Nearly 1,500 people were in attendance during the free concert. However, for those that were unable to acquire tickets in time, there are still many raves that will take place in unique settings throughout Europe this summer including an abandoned military base in the Netherlands and a sun-soaked vineyard in southern France.

We hope you've enjoyed learning about Élysée EDM! Interested in experiencing Fête de la Musique in its founding country? Our culturally immersive group classes taught by native instructors will enable you to dance the night away with a true understanding of the language and culture that has cultivated this tradition.