Passengers on LEVEL flight LL2623 operating between Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were surprised by a special inflight classical musical performance on February 17, 2026.
When the aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, was mid-flight more than 150 singers belonging to the “Orfeó Català”, a Barcelona-based choir, stood up to perform an a capella rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 (also known as “Ode of Joy”).
Founded in 1891 and based at Barcelona’s iconic modernist-style “Palau de la Música Catalana” concert hall, the “Orfeó Català” is one of Catalonia’s oldest and most renowned choral ensembles.
Its singers were enroute to California where they will perform Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at the Walt Disney Concert Hall together with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, which is led by world-famous conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
While it may have come as a surprise to regular passengers, the event was not an impromptu stunt. The classical music performance had been planned well in advance together with the airline, which laid out specially decorated headrests with motifs referring to the choral ensemble.
While rare, inflight musical performances are not unheard of. One recent example involved Vueling, another airline of the International Airlines Group (IAG). In 2024, the low-cost carrier marked its 20th anniversary with a live show onboard one of its aircraft, where passengers on a flight between Barcelona and Ibiza (IBZ) were treated to a rendition of “Forever Young” by artists from Lío Ibiza, one of Ibiza’s most popular entertainment venues.
Another example took place in December 2025, when Air New Zealand also offered an inflight version of the SYNTHONY music festival, gathering several artists and bands onboard for an electronic music concert.
