As an expression of culture, a form of intangible heritage, a signifier of place, and a marker of moments, music provides an important and emotive narrative for tourists. Indeed, it is increasingly difficult to imagine tourism ‘in silence’, outside of the scores and songs which accompany and punctuate journeys. From touristic performances of traditional dance, pilgrimages to the homes and graves of composers and singers, impromptu street entertainments, tours to concerts, attending festivals, to the sounds of the car radio, the travelling with ipods and the ‘muzak’ of hotel lifts, music can both activate and shape the journey, and passively permeate its duration. Music can both define and transcend the borders of destinations, emphasise and challenge notions of tradition, provide opportunities for liminal play, transgression and resistance and, help define the identities of visitors and the visited.