Fête de la Musique Held in Paris Lyon and Marseille Despite Red Heat Alerts

The Fête de la Musique took place on June 21 2026 across parts of France despite extreme heat alerts covering more than half the population. Le Monde reported that Météo-France placed 53 million residents in 39 administrative departments under red alert for extreme heat while 45 additional departments remained under orange alert. Some cities canceled their events entirely or in part.

Paris Lyon and Marseille kept concerts and street performances scheduled. Arnaud Narjac a store clerk from Pantin attended events at Place du Châtelet in Paris. He said the heat would not deter him after previous years of rain or high temperatures and planned to explore the Marais district.

A student from the Paris region attended performances on Rue des Lombards. The student noted that high ticket prices for other concerts and festivals explain why many families still gather outdoors on June 21 even in 40°C conditions.