Participate in Make Music Knoxville

Make Music Knoxville will return with a wild and wonderful mix of free musical events on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is proudly produced by the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, in partnership with the national Make Music Day initiative.

Make Music Knoxville is part of Make Music Day, a global music celebration that takes place on the first day of summer each year and brings people of all ages and skill levels together to make music. This year, more than 150 cities will host thousands of Make Music performances across the country as part of the world’s largest annual music event.

Unlike a typical music festival, Make Music concerts are performed by anyone who wants to take part and enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend. From classical to folk, hip hop to opera, Latin jazz to punk rock, live music of all kinds resounds on streets, sidewalks, porches, plazas, parks, gardens, storefronts, and other public spaces on the longest day of the year.

Musician Nicholas Horner established the Knoxville chapter in 2021 and produced Make Music events until 2023. The Arts & Culture Alliance is proud to continue this work by coordinating Make Music Knoxville 2025 in celebration of the city’s vibrant and varied musical community.

“Music has the power to unite and uplift people across Knoxville,” said Liza Zenni, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Make Music Knoxville is a reminder that music is a vehicle for joy, and we’re thrilled to help bring that spirit to life in such a creative and accessible way.”

Partners for Make Music Knoxville include the Downtown Knoxville Alliance, WDVX, Visit Knoxville, the Joy of Music School, Knoxville School of Rock, the Historic Tennessee Theatre, Nourish Knoxville, Knoxville Opera, Blount Mansion, Nief-Norf, and more.

Any musician, amateur or professional, young or old, is invited to take part by signing up at www.makemusicday.org/Knoxville; registration closes on June 2. Likewise, downtown businesses, buildings, and other institutions can visit the website to offer their outdoor spaces as concert locations. Questions? Casey Fox, knoxville@makemusicday.org, 865-523-7543

A schedule of events will be posted at www.makemusicday.org/Knoxville as performances are confirmed.

About Make Music Day
Held annually on June 21 to coincide with the summer solstice, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique taking place in more than 2,000 cities across 120 countries. The daylong musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, over 150 U.S. cities and the entire states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin are organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music-making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit www.makemusicday.org

About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The mission of the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is to serve and support a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable nonprofit organization that manages the Emporium Center in the heart of downtown’s Arts District where it provides services and tools to help artists and organizations become more successful, including administrative assistance, planning resources, grant preparation, and access to information services. The Alliance operates as a unifying voice representing the arts and culture community to government, businesses, the media, and the general public, all of whom benefit from a healthy, thriving arts and culture industry. For more information, please visit www.knoxalliance.com.