LA FOLLE JOURNÉE TOKYO 2025

What's LFJ?

What is La Folle Journée ?

La Folle Journée is a classical music festival which was born in 1995 in the French western port town of Nantes. The name of the festival refers to the play by Pierre Beaumarchais, The Marriage of Figaro, whose alternative title is The Follies of a Day. As its name, it is one of the most exciting musical festivals in Europe and in the world. Each year a new theme is given by which composers and pieces are chosen. In the convention centre “Cité des congrès Nantes”, there are 9 halls, where multiple concerts of 45 minutes in length are held simultaneously from morning until night. Artists include young and upcoming, to world renown, 300 concerts in 5 days! You can choose concerts you like and spend the whole day immersed in music!
Tickets are at a surprisingly low price from 6 euros to 30 euros (about 700 to 3000 yen). The Artistic Director, René Martin’s wish was to attract a new audience that could be a part of supporting music while enjoying top quality concerts in this unique carefree setting. 60% of the visitors are first timers to classical concerts including many children.
The unique concept of La Folle Journée has expanded worldwide with festivals taking place in Lisbon, Portugal from 2000, Bilbao, Spain from 2002, and Tokyo, Japan from 2005. La Folle Journée was also held in Kanazawa, Japan and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2008, Niigata and Lake Biwa, Japan, Warsaw, Poland in 2010, Tosu City Japan in 2011, and Ekaterinburg, Russia in 2015 which all brought sensational success in each city.

The evolution of the “Classical music revolution” in Tokyo.

La Folle Journée was born in 1995 in the French port town of Nantes and came to Japan in 2005 as « La Folle Journée au Japon ». In 2007, there were over 1 million visitors, and in 2024 a total of 9.04 million visitors from its beginning in 2005, becoming the world’s largest classical music festival. In 2015, traditional themes were revamped by, for example, featuring the festival on one composer. Each year a unique theme is selected, creating programs that delve beyond generation, genre and country, enhancing the encounter with music with adventure and discovery. Since 2018, the music festival’s name changed from “La Folle Journée au Japon” to “La Folle Journée TOKYO” together with a new logo designed by the creative director Kashiwa Sato, revitalizing the festival’s identity.

How the Festival Got Its Name.

When René Martin planned the first festival in 1995, the theme was “Mozart.” The concept was to hold a two-day concert in multiple venues where music was played around the clock, a music festival that was truly festive. He got his inspiration for its name from Beaumarchais’ play La Folle Journée, or Le Mariage de Figaro (The Mad Day or The Marriage of Figaro). Mozart based his opera upon this play, which was published in 1784. It was a revolutionary work that overturned the values of its day and is even said to have lit the fuse for the French Revolution. Its title La Folle Journée was a perfect match for René Martin’s dream of sweeping away the various barriers that keep people away from classical music. The poster for the first La Folle Journée showed a silhouette of Mozart’s thumbing his nose humorously. It was an image of Mozart, the iconoclast who defied the conventions of his day.

Six Charms of La Folle Journée

1) An innovative theme is proposed every year
2) The length of each concert is only 45 minutes: audience can catch several concerts if they wish and experience a variety of concerts all day from morning to evening
3) Concerts by top international artists are offered at low prices
4) A variety of free events are proposed
5) From families with babies to ardent music lovers, listeners from all kinds of backgrounds can enjoy live performances in a relaxed setting
6) A great festivity that fills the city with music

René Martin

Artistic Director René Martin

Main Features of La Folle Journée 2025

The 2025 La Folle Journée (LFJ) will shine a spotlight on cities and eras that made significant contributions to the development of music.

It is an undeniable fact that music history has been shaped around several major cities that, at certain points, became centers of culture and creativity. These cities, like beacons lighting up the world, attracted geniuses at particular times, becoming hubs of art and music. Through their brilliant influence, they left indelible marks on the history of civilization.

Venice was the center of Western music development from 1600 to 1750. Several new musical forms that originated in Venice during this period would go on to influence Western music in the future.

In the early 18th century, London, enjoying economic prosperity, became a major hub for Baroque and pre-Classical music, drawing musicians from all over Europe, including Germany, Italy, and France. Among them, the German composer Handel led the London music scene for over 40 years.

Vienna, which rose to prominence as a musical capital in the mid-18th century, became the true center of Western classical music, as Haydn and Mozart established the golden age of the Classical period. During the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period, Beethoven, who spent most of his life in Vienna, became the central figure, and Vienna continued to boast a flourishing music scene until the early 20th century.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Paris, known as the "City of Light," became a major stage for Western classical music, where distinguished artists from around the world gathered. When the Paris Exposition Universelle was held, composers like Debussy, along with famous figures of the time such as Mahler and Rimsky-Korsakov, visited the venue. Paris during this era was a source of inspiration for musicians from neighboring Spain, who came to study, perform, and create.

Across the Atlantic, New York became one of the epicenters of the global music scene in the 20th century. Home to countless jazz musicians who have made their mark on the world, New York is also the birthplace of musicals and has embraced a wide variety of musical styles with remarkable depth and diversity.

In addition, we will also highlight cities such as Saint Petersburg, Leipzig, Prague, and Budapest.

René Martin
Artistic Director LFJ