Luxembourg City is putting pianos in public for people to play

The 17 pianos each have a distinctly urban look having been painted by local youth organisations, schools and hostels

Imagine this: It’s a hot European summer’s day, the sun is blazing in a clear blue sky and you are walking down a quiet cobblestone street overflowing with flowers, surrounded by late Medieval architecture. Suddenly, you get the urge to play the piano and make music. But where do you find a piano on such short notice?

Luxembourg City – that’s where.

Last Friday, local authorities in the Grand Duchy’s capital launched the My Urban Piano project, where they installed 17 pianos in public spaces around the city. This, in perspective, is roughly 1 public piano per every 6,400 inhabitants, according to 2022 population data.

Public spaces, public pianos and democratic access to culture

Local authorities introduced the public pianos on 3 June and they will be available around Luxembourg City until 19 June. They are placed on streets, in parks, in neighbourhoods and on tourist sites and are completely free to use, as authorities are aiming to make them a vital part of public spaces.

Apart from brightening up certain areas, according to a statement by the city, the pianos would also act as magnets for the public and trigger multiple synergies and interactions by people across social boundaries. This policy stands in stark contrast to the isolated reality of pandemic measures, which were in place just a couple of months ago.

Furthermore, everyone who uploads a video of a micro-concert on the pianos to social media, tagged with the keywords #luxembourgcity and #myurbanpiano2022, can win vouchers with a value of up to €500, €250 and €150.

This, on the other hand, frees up anyone who knows how to play to just come up to the instruments and start performing. On top of that, city officials have also included the pianos in Luxembourg’s cultural calendar, putting several open air concerts on the agenda.

During the launch of the initiative, local politicians attended a concert by Hermès Kieffer, a student in the local conservatory, who played classical pieces by Tchaikovsky and Haydn.  

The pianos have a very distinct urban look as they were decorated by youth organisations, hostels, schools and city associations.