ABC’s The Piano hits the right note at Circular Quay with giant foot-played keyboard

ABC and Curious Nation have turned Sydney’s Circular Quay into Circular Keys, bringing to life TV series The Piano with a giant 15-metre-long playable keyboard.

The one-day activation formed part of Vivid Sydney and aimed to drive awareness and social buzz around The Piano, a new ABC series hosted by Amanda Keller, with musical legends Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam secretly mentoring everyday pianists performing in public spaces. 

Built as a custom, interactive floor piano, the 15m-long installation lit up and played music with every step, inviting the public to take part in impromptu performances. The activation featured dancers playing crowd favourites like Clocks by Coldplay and Baby Shark, but the real highlight came with an unannounced classical set by Andrea Lam, who delighted crowds in person. 

Stephanie Babin, managing partner at Curious Nation, described The Piano as a celebration of untapped talent.

“Our goal was to bring that spirit to life in a way that felt both joyful and unifying," she said. "Circular Quay gave us the perfect stage, where the public became the performers, and the amazing content was amplified across social media.”

Siobhan McGeown, acting group marketing manager at ABC, added Curious Nation’s activation captured the essence of the show beautifully. “The Piano is a show that surprises and uplifts, and Curious Nation’s activation captured that essence beautifully. It was utterly memorable and the perfect way to build buzz and introduce Australians to a show they’ll fall in love with.”

The activation created strong foot traffic engagement and wide organic reach across social platforms, bringing a hands-on (or feet-on) musical moment to one of Sydney’s busiest cultural destinations.