June 21, 2025  — Rain pelted down the late afternoon to the evening, but that didn’t stop the crowd drawing a record-breaking foot traffic of 14,527 for the Main Stage of Fête de la Musique: Un Monde at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City. Now on its 31st Edition, it is known as the biggest and longest-running music festival in the Philippines, spanning over 100 pocket stages that feature a diverse set of local talents nationwide. 

Naturally, Fête’s Main Stage was grander than ever this year. A curious blend of incredible artists from divergent genres – jazz, alternative, art pop, electronic, R&B, and more – joined forces in one stage for the sake of one thing alone: the love for music. From 4PM to a few minutes shy of midnight, Fête thrilled thousands and thousands of music fans in the city.

Here are some of the highlights of the Main Stage, in photos.

Hailing from Japan, Ito Kashitaro came in like a whirlwind as he took the stage, bursting with tremendous energy. The singer-songwriter, known for contributing songs for anime soundtracks, performed a lively acoustic set with tracks like “Vita Philosophica”, “Pierrot” and “Magic Music”.

Fête de la Musique also proved to be a brilliant avenue for astonishing artist collaborations. The set for soul duo Leanne & Naara and funk ensemble Brass Pas Pas Pas turned out to be one of the most energizing performances of the evening. 

Tenacious art pop met experimental techno as Ena Mori and the electronic duo Tarsius performed together on stage — a vibrant auditory spectacle.

Squeals echoed all over the venue as James Reid entered the stage. The actor and singer dished out his suave singing chops as he sang “Blessed”, “Randomatic” and “Pahinga”.

For the grand finale, OPM legend Ely Buendia thrilled the crowd with the Method Adaptor experience, performing songs from the album which included “Kandarapa”, “Kontrabando”, “Tagpi-Tagping Piraso” and “Bulaklak sa Buwan”. 

June 21 is a monumental day by nature, as it is the summer solstice, thereby making it the longest day of the year. It is also known as the World Music Day also known as Fête de la Musique. Undoubtedly, in 2025, we found out that the best way to remember such an important day was to be part of the festival, celebrating music freely. Cheers to 31 years of Fête! We’re already looking forward to the next one!

The 2025 Edition of Fête de la Musique in the Philippines is presented by Alliance Française de Manille, co-presented by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Funkybeat Entertainment, and Anam Kara.

By Sandra Mae Laureano