What’s Make Music Portland?

A day of totally free concerts + play-along events, happening in public parks and private venues all over greater Portland, every year on June 21, to celebrate summer, community, and artistic expression.

Make Music Portland, part of the international Fête de la Musique, is a festival of sound. Occurring annually on June 21, Make Music Day is a free event to attend and participate in and is open to all ages, genres, styles, and abilities. During this daylong celebration, the city comes alive with music. Performances take place on city sidewalks, in parks, patios, and even on back porches.

Make Music Portland is a community event that aims to strengthen social and cultural ties, elevate the profile of our city internationally, and support amateur and professional musicians. Our music festival falls annually on the summer solstice and is organized by the Make Music Portland board. Together with cities around the world, Portland rings in the first day of summer and the longest day of the year by celebrating the transformational power of sound.

The mission of Make Music Portland is to annually organize the Make Music Day event in Portland. Our event aims to do three things. First, we bring people together. Our annual festival is free and open to participation by all, regardless of age, experience, or ability. Our hope is to affect the entire city, transforming Portland into an outdoor stage. We encourage an inclusive and supportive mentality.

The second aim of Make Music Day is to bring attention to the arts in Portland. As a branch of the international Fête de la Musique we are part of a worldwide collective of performers and music makers. Each summer, we seek to engage both locals and visitors to showcase Portland’s diverse musical talents and our connection with the global arts community.

The final aim of Make Music Day is to support local music. Local to Portland and local to the state of Maine. We encourage artists of all kinds to share their talents. Our summer event welcomes music of every kind, from choirs to garage bands to bluegrass to gypsy punk. We also partner with schools and community organizations, as well as bands and individuals, to make Portland come alive with sound.