King’s Cross commuters were treated to a surprise musical flashmob as viral pianist Julien Cohen unveiled the new AI-powered ROLI Piano with a series of show-stopping performances.
Commuters at King’s Cross Station were stopped in their tracks last week after viral pianist Julien Cohen, the musician behind Paris’s famous Bohemian Rhapsody flashmob, staged his first-ever UK performance, turning the concourse into a pop-up concert hall.
What looked like a classic upright piano tucked into the station soon revealed itself to be something far more futuristic. Mid-performance, the vintage shell swung open to unveil the brand-new ROLI Piano, complete with the ROLI Learn App and Airwave — an AI-powered learning tool that uses real-time hand-tracking to teach people how to play.
The launch transformed one of London’s busiest travel hubs into an impromptu music venue, with commuters gathering in their hundreds to watch the spectacle unfold.
Julien performed several high-energy sessions throughout rush hour, including a rendition of Rosalía’s Berghain, one of the most talked-about tracks from her recent chart-topping release. In true flashmob style, a handful of “commuters” (actually planted performers) joined in, drawing even bigger crowds as the station filled with applause, phones in the air and plenty of festive cheer.
The musical takeover didn’t stop there. Pianists and composers Karim Kamar and Toya Delazy also took to the keys, adding to the evening buzz, while members of the public were invited to step up and try the new ROLI Piano for themselves. Even complete beginners managed to play their first tune on the spot thanks to Airwave’s AI hand-tracking and the piano’s signature light-up keys guiding them note by note.
For a station known for its daily symphony of suitcase wheels, tannoy announcements and hurrying footsteps, today’s performance delivered something far more memorable — a burst of music, innovation and London magic in the middle of the weekday commute.
