LONDON—Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, today unveiled its most magical musical experience to date – an overnight stay at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, hosted by local musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, producer and megastar, Mark Ronson.
For one night on October 15, the split-level Studio 3 will be converted into a temporary bedroom; the first time that any bed has been installed in the studios since an artist requested it in June of ‘69. Rich musical heritage pulses around its walls; this is the studio where Amy Winehouse famously recorded her last ever song with her hero, Tony Bennett, and where Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was born.
Four lucky guests will be immersed in music from the moment they arrive. They can play the Beatles’ piano, still marked with cigarette burns dating back to the recordings of The White Album. They will see the worn down strings on the Steinway Vertegrand, dubbed ‘Mrs. Mills’ piano, mix on the world’s largest mixing board and have access to all the incredible stories that the team have to tell. The guests will follow in the footsteps of the greats who started their own musical journey in the sanctuary of their bedrooms before making it to Abbey Road. They will have their very own musical playground in the heart of London’s St John’s Wood.
Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by the one-and-only Mark Ronson before being given an access-all-areas walk-around of what was a nineteenth century townhouse and is now home to more than three incredible studios across four floors.. A local to the neighbourhood and an Abbey Road regular, guests can ask Mark to share production tips ahead of recording their very own track in the studio that evening.
“Unless you are a recording artist, it is almost impossible to get inside Abbey Road Studios. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a music lover to cross its threshold and unearth thousands of stories that live within its walls,” said James McClure, Airbnb’s General Manager for Northern Europe. “Guests will be able to enjoy everything that the studios have to offer, including the option to record during the stay. You never know, this experience could see the next supergroup emerge and walk that zebra crossing!”
Mark Ronson, who is hosting the stay at Abbey Road Studios with Airbnb, said, “I was born and grew up ’round the corner from Abbey Road Studios, one of the greatest studios ever. Over the years working at Abbey Road, I’ve gotten to know many of the engineers there and hearing the legendary stories of recording albums is one of the great perks of being in the building. It’s incredible that Airbnb are getting Abbey Road to open up the doors so I can share it with people who love music as much as I do.”
How to spend the night at Abbey Road Studios
Visit the listing page from 06.00am BST September 29 to win the chance to spend one night at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Entrants are asked to tell a little about themselves, and explain which song they wish they had been there for while it was being recorded, and why, by 11:59 pm BST on October 6. Not local? No worries. We’ll fly in the winner and their guests from anywhere in the world. The winner and their guest should be over 18 years old and medically fit. Submissions should be between 50-500 characters or less in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese and 50-300 character or less in Chinese, Japanese or Korean.
House rules
- Turn it up to 11 – we’ve got good sound-proofing.
- If you catch nostalgia, don’t worry. It’s not contagious.
- No smoking, particularly near the piano.
- If the phone rings, a standard “Hello, it’s me” will do.
- Don’t go chasing pavements.
- Leave your mark.
Photos of the listing can be downloaded here.