skip to main content

Take Part in European Folk Day on 23 September

Folk musicians are encouraged to take part in the 2nd annual European Folk Day taking place on 23 September 2024.

Published: 22 August 2024 | 11:43 AM Updated: 22 August 2024 | 12:13 PM
A fiddle player playing with an accordion player as part of a folk music performance.
European Folk Day is a pan-European celebration of folk music,  folk dance and storytelling. Image credit: Shutterstock.

As part of the MU’s affiliation to the European Folk Network (EFN), we are pleased to announce that the 2nd European Folk Day is taking place on or around 23 September this year.

A celebration of folk music, dance and storytelling

From grassroots communities to national organisations, from individual musicians to companies involved in traditional arts at any level, European Folk Day is a chance for anyone wanting to celebrate folk music, dance and storytelling.

Artists are encouraged to participate by:

  • Recording and publishing a video performing a song that you have never shown to the public before
  • Exchanging songs with an artist from another country and recording each other’s songs
  • Connecting the concept to an in-person event, from a single performance to a festival
  • If you are a journalist, you can feature a song or an artist in your media, or dedicate the whole day to the topic

For more ideas, take a look at EFN’s recommendations of how to get involved.

Participants are invited to post their initiative on EFN’s interactive site map, where it will appear on a searchable database.

Submit your music to EFN’s public repository

EFN are also collecting artists’ favourite songs and tunes from their repertoire in a public repository accessible to the general public and to the media.

To submit your music, send your song or tune in MP3 format to media@europeanfolkday.eu.

Include your name, where the piece is from and a statement that you have the rights and you allow us to share it on EFN’s website.

Absolutely everyone can join in, and it's important to note that participation can be on the Folk Day itself but also on the days just before and after 23 September.

Continue reading

The UK and EU flags, waved together in front of Big Ben in London.

MU Backs Petition Urging UK to Rejoin Creative Europe Programme

The EU/UK Culture Forum has launched a petition calling on the UK Government to rejoin Creative Europe from 2027. The programme supports funding and cultural collaboration across Europe, and the MU is encouraging members to sign and show their support.

Published: 26 February 2026

Read more about MU Backs Petition Urging UK to Rejoin Creative Europe Programme
Person walking into a venue with a cello case on their back.

Musical Instrument Certificates to Remain Free of Charge

Following results from a recent consultation by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Musical Instrument Certificates will remain free of charge for musicians travelling with instruments containing endangered materials.

Published: 10 February 2026

Read more about Musical Instrument Certificates to Remain Free of Charge
Group of seven people, named in the caption, standing together in a regal Parliament building.

MU Gives Evidence on EU Touring to MPs on Select Committee

MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl spoke to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee about touring in the EU, alongside musician Kate Nash and Hanna Madalska-Gayer at the Association of British Musicians (ABO).

Published: 03 February 2026

Read more about MU Gives Evidence on EU Touring to MPs on Select Committee