Background music is no longer an afterthought at many airports, which are hiring local musicians and carefully curating playlists to help lighten travelers’ moods.
London’s Heathrow Airport built a stage to showcase emerging British performers for the first time this summer. The program was so successful the airport hopes to bring it back in 2025.
Nashville International Airport has five stages that host more than 800 performances per year, from country musicians to jazz combos.
In the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana International Airport greets passengers with live merengue music.
Tiffany Idiart and her two nieces were delighted to hear musicians during a recent layover at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Airports are also carefully curating their recorded playlists. Detroit Metro Airport plays Motown hits in a tunnel connecting its terminals.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas has a playlist of local artists compiled by an area radio station.
Singapore’s Changi Airport commissioned a special piano accompaniment for its giant digital waterfall.
Music isn’t a new phenomenon in airport terminals. Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports,” helped define the ambient music genre.
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