The 35th ‘Fete de la Musique’, an annual one-day music festival that takes place across France, kicked off in Paris on Tuesday (June 21) amid heightened security for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.
The French tradition to welcome the summer brought musicians of all genres on to the streets of the capital for free concerts.
Bands played in the streets as people sitting in cafes and bars looked on, while members of the police force were visible nearby.
Although some French media speculated that the festival may draw less people than usual due to the Euro 2016 tournament and heightened security, some revellers had the best of both words, with bars showing football matches on big screens as bands played outside.
French media also reported that a Paris concert had been cancelled due to security reasons.
France has been under a state of emergency since Islamic State militants killed 130 people in Paris last November and is on high security alert for the tournament.
The “Fete de la Musique” is due to last well into the night all over France.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
