Apple Hosts Surprise Alicia Keys Concert at Grand Central Terminal for 50th Anniversary [Video]

Apple temporarily closed its Grand Central Terminal store in New York City today to host a surprise concert by Alicia Keys, kicking off the company's 50th-anniversary celebrations.



Keys performed on her signature pink piano set up directly in the terminal, playing hits including "Empire State of Mind" and "Girl on Fire" for a crowd of roughly 1,200 commuters, invited media, and creators. The performance lasted just under 40 minutes. Apple began staging the area yesterday, bringing in custom lighting and audio equipment before revealing the artist to an unsuspecting public crowd.


Several high-ranking Apple executives were in attendance for the kickoff event. CEO Tim Cook was joined by marketing chief Greg Joswiak, retail head Deirdre O'Brien, and hardware engineering lead John Ternus, who recently took on expanded responsibilities overseeing the company's design teams.

The concert follows an open letter published yesterday where Cook officially announced plans to celebrate the milestone over the coming weeks. The company will mark exactly five decades since its founding on April 1, 2026. Cook also recently reflected on the anniversary and Apple's early struggles in a televised interview.

Keys has a long-standing collaborative history with Apple. She previously performed at the Apple Music Festival in London in 2016 and at the NYC Holiday Masquerade Ball in 2022. She was also one of the first artists to feature in Apple's immersive video format for the Vision Pro.

Wow @aliciakeys at grand central station for #Apple50 💕 pic.twitter.com/mRol3Hi8Cq

— iJustine (@ijustine) March 13, 2026