Photo Credit: Apple
Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store shut down to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a surprise Alicia Keys concert for several YouTubers in attendance.
Apple marked the start of its 50th anniversary celebrations with a special Alicia Keys set from the iconic steps at Apple Grand Central in New York City. The company temporarily shuttered the busy retail space and transformed it into a compact concert venue with staging, lighting, and Keys’ signature pink grand piano. Commuters in Grand Central caught the action on the concourse below the store.
Apple invited a curated mix of creators, media, and guests to the impromptu concert, positioning the performance as the first in a series of in-person anniversary events that will run through March ahead of the April 1 milestone.
Keys delivered a short “hits” set built for both live impact and replay value, including staples like “Fallin’,” “You Don’t Know My Name,” “Empire State of Mind,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “No One.” The staging of the event kept Keys’ performance front and center, with Apple leaning into its own tech to film the performance on an iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple’s executive talent was also visible in the crowd, including CEO Tim Cook, Marketing Chief Officer Greg Joswiak, Retail Lead Dierdre O’Brien, and Hardware Engineering Boss John Ternus. Those execs watched the performance enthralled alongside several YouTubers and other content creators. Keys was chosen for this performance since she was one of the first artists to embrace spatial audio and headlined an Apple Music Live performance in 2022. Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room was among the first Apple immersive experiences for Apple Vision Pro.
The Keys performance is the opening move in a month-long slate of anniversary gatherings that Apple plans to host around the world. The company says each event will “highlight human creativity and ingenuity in action, and showcase the remarkable things people can do when they have the right Apple products in their hands.”