Apple Celebrates 50 Years with Alicia Keys Concert and MacBook Neo Launch
Apple is marking its 50th anniversary with a series of global celebrations, kicking off with a surprise performance by Alicia Keys at its Grand Central Terminal store in Recent York City and the recent launch of the MacBook Neo. The milestone is being recognized with events highlighting creativity and innovation, showcasing the impact of Apple products worldwide.
Alicia Keys Kicks Off Anniversary Festivities
On Friday, March 13, 2026, Alicia Keys delivered an intimate, 8-song performance at the Apple Store in Grand Central Station, celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary. The concert required the store to be closed for two days to set up a stage and audio equipment.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with other Apple executives including Global Marketing Lead Greg Jozwiak and Apple Hardware Lead John Ternus, were in attendance. Keys performed a setlist including:
- Nat King Cole
- You Don’t Understand My Name
- Karma
- Fallin’
- If I Ain’t Got You
- Girl on Fire
- No One
- Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
Keys chatted with the crowd, thanking Grand Central and Apple for their support before inviting Cook onstage. Apple shared photos from the event, but has not yet released video footage.
MacBook Neo: A New Addition to the Apple Lineup
The anniversary celebrations coincided with the launch of the MacBook Neo, Apple’s first low-cost Mac laptop. Details about the MacBook Neo were announced on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
A Month of Global Celebrations
Apple plans to continue the celebrations throughout the month with gatherings around the world. These events will focus on “highlighting human creativity and ingenuity in action, and showcase the remarkable things people can do when they have the right Apple products in their hands.” Further details regarding these events are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, and the company’s actual 50th anniversary will be on April 1, 2026.