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‪Is the Canterbury scene, or school, merely a “journalistic invention”, as some of the musicians involved in it have claimed? Did the relatively limited musical effervescence (a small number of protagonists and a largely indifferent local population) initiated by Soft Machine and Caravan in the capital of Kent really amount to a “scene”? Is there such a thing as a “Canterbury style” when the bands referred to under this umbrella are musically so different? Such are the arguments put forward by the skeptics who invalidate the very concept of a “Canterbury scene”. We demonstrate here that beyond its problematic aspects, and notably its overly restrictive geographical anchoring, what is commonly referred to as the “Canterbury scene” or “school” does indeed encompass a unique and cohesive musical phenomenon, which can be defined by a list of characteristics commonly identified as being unique to it. Freed from its literal meaning to describe a musical approach, the term becomes more inclusive, allowing musicians in any place and at any time to become part of it, and thus opening up the possibility of the music outliving its inventors other than in the form of a discographic legacy.‪