EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY JULY 8
EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Musician Jordan Rakei partners with Heathrow to create the world’s first piece of music made entirely from the sounds of an airport, captured everywhere from the airfield to baggage handling. Issue date: Tuesday July 8, 2025. PA Photo. The track, ‘Music for Heathrow’, is designed to reflect the excitement of the start of a summer holiday and serves as an ode to Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments
(IN SHORT) Heathrow Airport and artist Jordan Rakei have unveiled “Music for Heathrow,” an ambient track composed entirely from the airport’s own sounds, in homage to Brian Eno’s Music for Airports. Recorded across airfields, terminals and baggage systems, the four-part piece weaves passenger footsteps, tannoy chimes, engine hums and even film-scene samples into a seamless loop set to play throughout Heathrow this summer. With live performances scheduled every Friday in July, the project enhances the airport experience as Heathrow anticipates handling up to 250,000 daily departures to over 230 destinations.
(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 2025-Jul-8 — /Travel PR News/ — Heathrow Airport has teamed up with Grammy-nominated musician Jordan Rakei to produce “Music for Heathrow,” a first-of-its-kind ambient composition crafted exclusively from the airport’s own soundscape. Drawing inspiration from Brian Eno’s landmark 1979 album Music for Airports, Rakei was granted full access to Heathrow’s runways, baggage systems, terminals and more, capturing over fifty unique audio elements—from the rhythmic clatter of suitcases on conveyor belts to the low hum of escalators—to assemble a seamless, mood-setting soundtrack for summer travelers.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY JULY 8
EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Musician Jordan Rakei partners with Heathrow to create the world’s first piece of music made entirely from the sounds of an airport, captured everywhere from the airfield to baggage handling. Issue date: Tuesday July 8, 2025. PA Photo. The track, ‘Music for Heathrow’, is designed to reflect the excitement of the start of a summer holiday and serves as an ode to Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments
Split into four distinct movements mirroring the traveler’s journey, the piece incorporates everything from passport-stamp percussion to ASMR-style water fountain ambience. Rakei transformed a jet’s roar into a synth line, turned baggage-control sirens into soft pads, and sampled iconic movie moments—the stamping of feet in Bend It Like Beckham’s Terminal 2, the security-scanner beeps from Love Actually’s Terminal 3, and runway engine whirs where Die Another Day was filmed—into subtle textures that stir excitement and ease pre-flight nerves. Throughout July, the looping composition will play across Heathrow’s terminals, with a complementary summer series of live performances by acts such as The Cash Cows and the Urban Cellist.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY JULY 8
EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Musician Jordan Rakei partners with Heathrow to create the world’s first piece of music made entirely from the sounds of an airport, captured everywhere from the airfield to baggage handling. Issue date: Tuesday July 8, 2025. PA Photo. The track, ‘Music for Heathrow’, is designed to reflect the excitement of the start of a summer holiday and serves as an ode to Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments
As Heathrow prepares for what promises to be its busiest summer yet—with up to 250,000 passengers departing daily to more than 230 destinations—this bespoke soundtrack aims to heighten anticipation and transform transition spaces into immersive, uplifting environments. Rakei, who recently became Abbey Road Studios’ first artist-in-residence, said, “I’ve spent countless hours in airports chasing flights, and I wanted to bottle that pre-holiday buzz. Turning Heathrow’s everyday sounds into a cohesive piece was an absolute privilege.” Lee Boyle, Head of Terminals (Services) at Heathrow, added, “This collaboration captures the joy of setting off on summer adventures. We hope ‘Music for Heathrow’ becomes the perfect accompaniment to every passenger’s journey.”
Jordan Rakei’s Music for Heathrow is available on Soundcloud and in Heathrow terminals now. https://soundcloud.com/jordan-rakei/music-for-heathrow/s-bVoMIOV1mQV?si=32c2e03624ef41f394033b372fd4e5c5&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Watch the film on Heathrow’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/t4GlqNKLzUg
For more information contact heathrow@theacademypr.com
SOURCE: Heathrow Airport Limited
