Heathrow launches live music stage at Terminal 5

Credit: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments

Heathrow is providing a new platform for British musical acts this summer, as part of their Heathrow Introducing scheme held in Terminal 5.

This summer is set to be Heathrow’s busiest on record, with the airport set to welcome over 30 million passengers between June and September. This initiative will give some of Britain’s most promising artists access to an audience larger than Glastonbury.

The Heathrow Introducing stage has been curated in partnership with global music community Sofar Sounds, renowned for launching the careers of some of today’s biggest stars like Billie Eilish and Leon Bridges. Sofar Sounds worked with Heathrow to curate a diverse line up of emerging artists spanning pop, jazz, folk, RnB, soul and rock.

The first of a series of exclusive gigs took place in Heathrow Terminal 5 when passengers were given a set of live performances by acoustic rock band China Bears, folk singer-songwriter The Halfway Kid, and RnB artist Olivia Nelson who this year was named Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Runner Up.  

They took place in the lead up to Heathrow’s busiest day in history, when 264,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport’s doors on Sunday 30 June – an uplift of six per cent on the same date last year and 10 times busier than July 2020. There are 1.8 million passengers set to travel through Heathrow this week, more than almost any other week on record.  

With 30 million set to travel through in its busiest summer yet – a 1400 per cent increase on 2020’s 2 million – the airport will have more passengers than Vienna, Zurich, Copenhagen and Lisbon see annually.

Sofar Sounds has been seeking out the future’s biggest stars since it launched in 2009, and has since hosted gigs with artists including Ed Sheeran, Hozier and Wolf Alice.

There are still two more shows to come – music execs flying in, people jetting off on summer holidays and those collecting loved ones will have the chance to catch the remaining performances on two dates in July. The first will take place on Friday 12 July, which is set to break another passenger numbers record, and the second will take place on Wednesday 24 July.

Karoline Komolafe of Sofar Sounds commented: “The Heathrow Introducing stage isn’t just about providing entertainment, it’s about propelling careers to new heights. It’s a game-changer for those aiming to break into the industry, especially with festival season at its peak, offering exposure to execs travelling through the hub – you can only get this at Heathrow.

“We’ve loved picking out who we think are the most promising and genuinely exciting acts that are starting out right now, and I think Heathrow passengers are going to have a brilliant time at the gigs.”

Tonia Fielding, Director of Services at Heathrow commented: “Heathrow has long been hailed as the UK’s gateway to the world. We’re proud that we’re providing people from around the globe the chance to experience the best of Britain’s emerging musical talent and a taste of UK culture from the moment they reach the airport, while helping British talent supercharge their careers at the same time.

“We’re gearing up for the busiest summer on record, meaning we can give artists on the Heathrow Introducing stage massive audiences to play to. As we strive to be an extraordinary airport, delivering the best travel experience in the UK, initiatives like this support our commitment to culture, innovation and excellence.”

The most popular destination that Brits are set to fly to from Heathrow this summer is New York, followed by Los Angeles, Dublin and Dubai.