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Your commute is getting a soundtrack upgrade.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of its Arts & Design program, the MTA has announced a major refresh of its long-running “Music Under New York” initiative. The program is now officially called MTA Music and it’s bringing a bigger, more curated slate of live performances to subway stations and transit hubs across all five boroughs.
The biggest headline change is a new monthly “Stations Series” that spotlights different musical and cultural themes at five key locations, one in each borough. This is on top of the daily performances riders already stumble upon between train transfers and coffee runs.
The rotating“Stations Series” will take place at:
- Bronx: Parkchester Station or 161 St–Yankee Stadium (weather dependent)
- Brooklyn: Atlantic Terminal / Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr
- Manhattan: 34 St–Herald Sq
- Queens: Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Av/74 St
- Staten Island: Staten Island Ferry, St. George Terminal
The inaugural event, a Black History Month celebration, kicked off last Thursday, February 26, from 12pm to 6pm. Performers included Gambian kora player Salieu Suso and R&B vocalist Anthony Quarterman in the Bronx; Underground Drummers and funk saxophonist TC Saxman in Brooklyn; gospel singer Arlethia and jazz saxophonist Marquis Sayles in Manhattan; R&B guitarist G Wyll and singer-guitarist Chanese Elifé in Queens; and jazz guitarist Kevin Herbert alongside handpan player Anthony Bell on Staten Island.
Future themes are already mapped out. March will honor Women’s History Month; April brings Jazz Appreciation Month; May highlights Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; and June leans into World Beats in conjunction with the World Cup. July nods to the Great American Songbook as part of America 250, followed by Classical Music Appreciation Month in September, Subway Day in October, Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month in November, and a holiday and New Year celebration in December.
Beyond the themed series, daily MTA Music performances will continue at high-traffic spots like Times Square–42 St, 34 St–Penn Station, 14 St–Union Sq, Grand Central (East and West), 42 St–Port Authority Bus Terminal and the Staten Island Ferry’s Whitehall Terminal.
The rebrand also comes with a new look: the MTA Arts & Design logo now paired with a bright pink “Music” circle, which is already popping up on banners across the system.
With more than 150 active performers and roughly 8,500 performances annually—featuring everything from steel drums and Andean pipes to Cajun cello and even musical saws—MTA Music is a great reminder that even a delayed train can come with a live encore.