Rocking All Over the World

Emilie Simon

If there was any doubt that we’re becoming a global village tomorrow’s Exhibition Road Music Day ( a collaboration with the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, ERCG ) will knock it on the head.

Based on France’s successful Fete de la Musique ( which has been running for 26 years ) the London event is part of a worldwide, one day extravaganza, with 340 cities in 150 countries all holding free professional and amateur world music events to celebrate sound along with the Summer Solstice.

Images and live footage from the festivals across the globe will be sent to the event in Paris and beamed on huge screens.

London’s celebration – now in its third year – promises to be even better than 2006, which attracted 14,000 visitors.
Taking place at venues including the Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Institute Francais, some of the acts to look out for include Pilot Light, hailed as the “Irish Radiohead” Romanian gypsy band Fanfare Savale and French singer Emilie Simon.

And if you fancy a go there are plenty of workshops to get involved with. Even if you’re tone deaf there’s the Can’t Sing Choir.

Whilst being a fun, free event and a chance to cross boundaries through music, tomorrow is actually part of a wider scheme run by the ERCG, which is in consultation with the Department for Culture,Media and Sport.
Exhibition Road is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions, with 10 million visitors per year, and one of ERGC’s main goals is to make the area more pedestrian friendly.

Check back as the progress of this issue  is something that Open will be keeping tabs on.

In the meantime, enjoy the music on the longest day.


For more information visit www.exhibitionroadmusicday.org

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