Make Music Ventura: A FREE day of live music, community celebration, and hands-on fun for all ages

Live music on multiple stages, a Family Fun Zone, live mural, drum circles, and more across Downtown Ventura.

VENTURA, Calif., June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventura Music Festival (VMF) and Downtown Ventura Partners are proud to present Make Music Ventura, a free community music celebration taking place on Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 12 to 8 PM across multiple venues, stages, and activation zones in the heart of downtown Ventura.

Part of the worldwide Make Music Day tradition celebrated every June 21st during the summer solstice, Make Music Ventura brings together local and regional artists for an afternoon of free live performances, participatory experiences, family activities, and community connection.

This year's event features multiple curated performance stages, a Family Fun Zone, a live mural experience, guided drum circles, a one-on-one electronic music creation experience, and a full day of activities for all ages, all free and open to the public.

Event Overview
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026
Time: 12–8 PM
Location: Main Street, Downtown Ventura, California
Admission: Free
Website: VenturaMusicFestival.org/mmv2026

Activation Zones
Make Music Ventura 2026 spans several distinct activation zones across Downtown Ventura:

MMV Main Stage (California St.), 12-8 PM
Presented by Ventura Music Festival in collaboration with Downtown Ventura Partners. Featuring Monkfish, The Bomb, Jayden Secor, The Ray Jaurique Big Band, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, and The New Vibe.

The Grape Community Stage (Figueroa St.), 12-8 PM
Presented by The Grape in collaboration with Ventura Music Festival. Featuring Victoria Avenue, VC Jazz Ensemble (dir. Fundi Legohn), Two Trees Jazz Project, The Grape House Band, and RJ Mischo.

Burch Studio Stage (Chestnut St.), 12-6 PM
Featuring Burch Studio artists.

805 Record Fair (Fir St.), 12-6 PM
Live DJs and a vinyl market all afternoon.

Family Fun Zone - Downtown Mini Park, 12-6 PM
Presented by Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) with interactive music activations by The Safe Space Community. Drum circles, an instrument zoo, face painting, a bubble station, lawn games, a photo booth by CliqCliq Photo, and rotating activations throughout the day.

LAERZ Interactive Music Experience (between California and Oak St.), 12-5 PM
Sit one-on-one as LAERZ builds a song in real time using live beats, layered sound, and the voices of people around you. No instruments or experience required. Just show up and create something one-of-a-kind.

MB Universe Live Mural Experience (between Chestnut and California St.), 12-5 PM
Watch art come to life in real time. Multimedia artist MB Hanrahan will be painting a one-of-a-kind mural inspired by Make Music Ventura. By the end of the afternoon, the mural will be a living record of the music, the people, and the event.

Ronnie Gutierrez Drum Circle Experience (Family Fun Zone, Main Stage and Community Stage)
Percussionist Ronnie Gutierrez will be leading four live drum circles throughout the day. Attendees can join Ronnie for two 20-minute sessions at the Main Stage and Community Stage, or bring the kids to the Family Fun Zone for two 15-minute circles designed just for younger players. No drumming experience needed. Show up, grab an instrument, and feel the rhythm!

The Backstage Bar at Rocks & Drams (California St.)
VIP access for VMF Sponsors to the Main Stage patio with Mario's Hard Espresso drinks (21+) and 15% off the full menu.

MAIN STAGE LINEUP

Monkfish: A Santa Barbara-based soul, jazz, and funk band with deep R&B roots and an improvisational spirit.
The Bomb: A soul band with 28+ years entertaining audiences across R&B, Latin Soul, Blues, Jazz, Rock, and Funk.
Jayden Secor: Ventura native and high-voltage performer blending country with rock, psychedelic jam, grunge, and blues.
The Ray Jaurique Big Band: Ventura County's own blues and soul force, with a four-piece horn section and a sound that rocks, rolls, and swings.
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca: Pioneer of Afro-Cuban and pan-African sounds, singing in Spanish, Portuguese, Kimbundu, Lingala, and Kikongo. Lemvo's new album Sangre Indígena drops in June 2026.
The New Vibe: A high-energy 7-piece band blending old-school and new-school funk with psychedelic and hip-hop-infused grooves. They have shared stages with Morris Day & The Time, Roger Zapp, and Atlantic Starr.

COMMUNITY STAGE LINEUP

Victoria Avenue: A genre-blending six-piece collective fusing jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and funk, currently preparing their debut album.
Ventura College Jazz Ensemble (dir. Fundi Legohn): A student ensemble from Ventura College under the direction of one of Southern California's leading jazz educators.
Two Trees Jazz Project: A high-energy jazz ensemble led by veterans Franklin Murphy and Mercedes Carter, drawing on jazz, funk, reggae, rock, and jam band traditions.
The Grape House Band: A rotating collective of local Ventura musicians and resident house band at The Grape.
RJ Mischo: A critically acclaimed blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter with a global performance history.

In-Kind Sponsors
Make Music Ventura gratefully acknowledges the following in-kind sponsors whose contributions help make this free event possible:

• LP Percussion — Percussion Instruments
• Rocks & Drams — Main Stage VIP Patio
• Mario's Hard Espresso — VIP Bar
• The Safe Space Community — Interactive Music Experience
• CliqCliq Photo — Family Fun Zone Photo Booth
• LAERZ — Interactive Music Experience
• EJ Harrison & Sons — Waste Services

Community Partners
Make Music Ventura is made possible through the generous support of the following community partners:

• Downtown Ventura Partners — Presenting Collaborator
• Oxnard Performing Arts Center — Family Fun Zone
• The Grape — Community Stage
• Burch Studios — Live Music Experience
• 805 Record Fair — Live Music Experience
• MB Universe — Live Mural Experience
• Ronnie Gutierrez Percussion — Interactive Music Experience
• Your Promotional Resource Girls — Make Music Ventura Maracas
• Darvik Productions — Main Stage Production
• Islay Events — Community Stage Production
• Production Navigators — Festival Production
• Amigos Event Rentals — Event Rentals
• JW Enterprises — Portable Restrooms

About Make Music Day
Make Music Day is a global celebration of music held every June 21st during the summer solstice. Beginning in France in 1982 as Fête de la Musique, it has grown to more than 120 countries and brings communities together through free, accessible live music. Make Music Ventura participates in collaboration with the NAMM Foundation.

About Ventura Music Festival
Now in its 31st season, the Ventura Music Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing world-class music to Ventura County through live performances, educational programming, and community events. VMF presents a full season of concerts alongside accessible initiatives like Make Music Ventura and the Music in the Schools program.
For more information, visit VenturaMusicFestival.org or follow @venturamusicfestival on Instagram and Facebook.

SOURCE Ventura Music Festival