Metz, located near Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, is an innovative metropolis where the arts are omnipresent thanks to a cultural ecosystem rich in creative industries, a technopole and a European technology campus.

Metz, which saw the birth of Gregorian chant in the 9th century, is also a pioneer city in music education, with the opening of one of the first conservatories in France (1835). Although steeped in its history, it is nowadays a major contemporary music hub.

The overall annual operating budget for culture is estimated at US$ 133 million, of which US$ 69 million for the musical field alone, made up of many production and distribution institutions, educational players, artists, ensembles and professional groups, around fifty associations and amateur groups, as well as 460 economic players.

Metz has major annual musical events, such as festivals, European days and cross-border encounters, bringing together hundreds of thousands of spectators in famous spaces. As a “100% EAC” (for Éducation Artistique et Culturelle or Artistic and Cultural Education) certified city, Metz is putting young people and education at the heart of its music agenda, and often works with specialized entities (hospitals, social centres, National Institute of Young Deaf, etc.).

Metz offers artist-in-residence programmes, supports the development of both professional and amateur careers in music and is investing in the conversion of 30,000 metre square of warehouses to house an incubator for associations and start-ups, some of which are in the international sound design market. Metz has also helped create a bandstand in the Jardins de l'Esplanade and has converted a former military refrigerated buildings into a reception space for artists. Finally, it has set in place a policy to support local music labels by hosting their events and concerts and by providing shared resources and tools.