Greg Banks performs at 42 St-Times Sq as part of MTA Music. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced an overhaul of its “Music Under New York” program, which brings live music to subway stations across all five boroughs. Renamed MTA Music, the program marks the 40th anniversary of the MTA’s Arts & Design initiative and features an expanded lineup of performers through 2026 and beyond. The relaunch includes a new monthly Station Series, bringing themed performances to five locations each month, with each showcase celebrating a different musical or cultural heritage alongside the program’s ongoing daily performances.
The inaugural Station Series took place on Thursday, featuring performances celebrating Black History Month at five locations: Parkchester Station in the Bronx; Atlantic Terminal/Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center in Brooklyn; 34th Street–Herald Square in Manhattan; Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street in Queens; and St. George Terminal on Staten Island.
Future Station Series themes include:
- March: Women’s History Month
- April: Jazz Appreciation Month
- May: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
- June: World Beats, coinciding with the FIFA World Cup in NYC
- July: The Great American Songbook, alongside America’s 250th anniversary
- September: Classical Music Appreciation Month
- October: Subway Day
- November: Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month
- December: Holiday and New Year celebrations
Additional Station Series performances will be revealed throughout the year.
Regular daily MTA Music performances continue at locations across all five boroughs, including Times Square–42nd Street; 34th Street–Penn Station; 14th Street–Union Square; Grand Central Terminal (East and West); Staten Island Ferry’s Whitehall Terminal; Grand Central–42nd Street; 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal; and Times Square–42nd Street. These performances run alongside the new Station Series events.
The program’s rebranding also comes with a visual update. The new logo pairs the MTA Arts & Design emblem with a pink Music circle, and performers are displaying banners featuring the refreshed branding throughout the transit system.
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