Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) marked its 50th anniversary with a monthlong series of events across its retail stores and major venues, culminating in a March 31 performance by Paul McCartney at Apple Park in Cupertino.
The company said the program began March 13 with a live performance by Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York and continued through March with events in London, Paris, Shanghai, Chengdu, Mumbai, Tokyo, Vancouver, Mexico City, Washington, D.C., Bangkok, Seoul, and at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Rather than centering the anniversary on a single product launch, Apple used the campaign to highlight music, design, film, accessibility, and creator tools across its stores and services. The format also underscored how Apple continues to use its retail network as a venue for programming tied to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Vision Pro, and Today at Apple.
#Global Events Spanned Music, Art, and Retail
The final event at Apple Park featured McCartney, whose relationship with Apple has stretched across several years of collaborations tied to iTunes, Apple Music, and the iPhone’s Voice Memos app, according to the company. Apple positioned the appearance as the closing event in the anniversary series.
In London, Apple Battersea hosted performances by Mumford & Sons and Nia Archives. In Paris, Apple Champs-Élysées staged a French touch-themed program that included a pop-up recording studio, Today at Apple sessions, and live performances by acts including Breakbot, Cassius, disiz, Ebony, and Guy2Bezbar.
In Shanghai, designer Feng Chen Wang presented a show during Shanghai Fashion Week at Apple Jing’an. In Chengdu, singer and actor Chris Lee led a performance tied to the anniversary. In Tokyo, virtual artist Mori Calliope appeared at Apple Omotesando for a discussion and live set, while Apple BKC in Mumbai unveiled a mural by illustrator Mira Felicia Malhotra followed by a discussion with singer-songwriter Anuv Jain.
The company also used the anniversary to spotlight creators working in different formats. In Vancouver, figure skater Elladj Baldé discussed his “Wild Ice” series, which Apple said was shot on iPhone. In Mexico City, Apple Antara hosted talent connected to the Apple Original series Las Azules, Acapulco, and Midnight Family for a panel on storytelling. In Bangkok, artist Molly Yllom led a Today at Apple session tied to her Crybaby character universe.
#Services and Creator Tools Featured Prominently
Across the events, Apple repeatedly tied the anniversary programming to its devices, software, and media platforms. That approach suggests the anniversary served not only as a commemorative campaign, but also as a broad brand showcase for Apple’s hardware-and-services ecosystem. Many of the featured artists and creators were described as existing users of Apple tools or previous participants in Apple programs such as Apple Music’s Up Next or Today at Apple.
The New York opening event with Alicia Keys reflected that strategy clearly. Apple linked Keys not only to the live performance at Grand Central, but also to earlier work involving Spatial Audio and an immersive Vision Pro experience. Similar patterns appeared elsewhere: Mori Calliope discussed using GarageBand, Feng Chen Wang was described as relying on iPad, Mac, and iPhone, and Malhotra’s Mumbai mural was said to have been developed with iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, and Procreate.
At the Sydney Opera House, Apple highlighted a yearlong collaboration centered on digital artwork from emerging Australian artists and members of the public. The visual work was created using Procreate, while the score was composed by Bailey Pickles using Logic Pro.
#Accessibility and Cultural Programming Added Broader Context
Not all of the events were performance-driven. At Apple Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., actor Troy Kotsur, Gallaudet University president Roberta Cordano, Apple executive Sarah Herrlinger, and disability rights advocate Haben Girma took part in a discussion on Deaf creativity and accessible technology.
That event gave the campaign a broader public-interest dimension by linking the anniversary to accessibility features across Apple devices, including tools for mobility, speech, learning, and assistive use. It also widened the anniversary narrative beyond entertainment and celebrity appearances.
Taken together, the 50th anniversary events showed Apple leaning on its stores and flagship venues as spaces for live programming, creative workshops, and community engagement. The campaign is a celebration of creativity, illustrating how the company continues to integrate cultural programming with retail, services, and product marketing.