Raving in the Museum: Institutions Explore New Ways to Develop Audiences and Raise Funds

August 29, 2025 / Sophie Clearwater /

MoMA PS1’s signature summer music series “Warm Up” invites audiences to discover underground and emerging talent. Photo: Joel Arbaje

As museums grapple with questions of financial sustainability and relevance while working to expand their audiences, more institutions are experimenting with programming that moves well beyond the crystal tower and white cube to embrace new forms of expression and engagement. One of those forms is music. But what happens when museums become the venue for an entire festival, or begin staging their own raves with curated lineups?

That is the case with MoMA PS1, now in the 27th iteration of “Warm Up,” the longest-running music program hosted by a museum. From July through the end of August, DJs and dancers fill the courtyard every Friday evening, gathering beneath artfully designed stages in a charged blend of music, audience participation and contemporary creativity.

The courtyard has been at the center of the program since 1997, when a major renovation opened up the outdoor space—something few museums in New York can claim. The following year, in 1998, “Warm Up” debuted as a summer-long dance party meant to attract new audiences to MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. That first edition even featured provocative outdoor sculptures by Gelatin, with the artists themselves involved in the music selection.

From the start, the connection between artists and musicians has been central to the program, as MoMA PS1 curator Kari Rittenbach tells Observer. At the time, Long Island City had little residential development, and across from PS1 there was little more than an empty lot for taxis. That openness created a sense of freedom, of being able to introduce a world of experimental sound—the kind of energy that had pulsed through spaces like Paradise Garage and other legendary venues that shaped the city’s music scene since the 1980s.

“It’s a rare kind of space in New York City for a museum, almost a full city block,” Rittenbach reflects. “That scale created a special set of conditions—a recipe for cultivating an ecosystem that could truly sustain artists and musicians.”

In 1999 Philip Johnson—architect and founder of MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design—created a structure called Dance Pavilion for “Warm Up,” marking not only the first collaboration between PS1 and MoMA but also the launch of the annual Young Architects Program (YAP), which selects an architect each year to design the installation that serves as the dynamic backdrop for the series.

A performer in a sheer pink lace dress and bright red platform heels sits on the steps at MoMA PS1’s Warm Up, singing into a microphone under string lights and a hanging disco ball. — “Warm Up” brings together art, music and nightlife communities in PS1’s open-air courtyard on a set designed by New York City-based artist and musician Jeffrey Joyal. Photo: Ryan Muir

In 2025, the set for “Warm Up” was designed by New York City-based artist and musician Jeffrey Joyal, who created a two-part installation with layered, weathered woodcut prints wheat-pasted onto the DJ booth that frame the performance area. At its center, a sculptural element titled The Jerk (2025)—featuring spinning LED lights that spell out the names of mid-20th-century dance moves—hovers above the stage as a kinetic, cultural “caller.” This year’s pavilion draws from the history of DIY graphic production and links present-day collective movement to past moments of youth-led cultural change.

From its inception, “Warm Up” has served as a meaningful acknowledgment of experimental music as a form of cultural expression. “For us, it’s about taking sound seriously as a cultural form and asking how it could shape the life of the institution,” says Rittenbach.

This perspective aligns with MoMA PS1’s ethos as the first museum founded by and for artists, dedicated to advancing the newest forms of artistic expression in the city. “From the beginning the question has always been: how do we make this space for artists? That same question still animated me and the team when we were thinking about how to bring this series back after the pandemic hiatus,” Rittenbach explains. “Warm Up” was paused during the pandemic and only relaunched in the summer of 2023, though the museum continued to support the music community during that period through a curated streaming series.

The program is now curated by a team led by Rittenbach, but as she notes, it involves the entire staff since it functions as a museum-wide production. “The logistics, the organization of it all, fall to us—which, as anyone who’s ever put together a music event knows, is an enormous undertaking,” Rittenbach says. For MoMA PS1, “Warm Up” is not simply a public program or marketing initiative—it’s as central to the annual calendar as any exhibition.

Each year, MoMA PS1 invites five artists or musicians to join the rotating group that helps shape the lineup. Often, they’ve previously exhibited at PS1 or are part of current shows—figures already embedded in the institution’s orbit or closely connected to its community. The core curatorial challenge, according to Rittenbach, is identifying what feels cutting-edge in New York City right now. “One of the most interesting ways to approach that is simply to listen to artists. So while there’s a lot of thought and research that goes into the curatorial side, much of it also comes from conversations with artists—asking what’s in the air, what’s emerging from the streets, what they’re listening to. Those exchanges help shape the direction of the program.” Many of the people they speak with are deeply tied to nightlife scenes or experimental music platforms. “Through those exchanges, we’re able to get a sense of who feels most exciting at the moment—whether that’s DJs or emerging musicians who are starting to generate real buzz.”

A crowd at MoMA PS1’s Warm Up, with people perched on colorful cube seating in front of the “ARTISTS MAKE NEW YORK” mural. The scene shows friends talking, laughing, and enjoying drinks in a lively, casual atmosphere. — “Warm Up” charts origin points for innovations in electronic music on Friday evenings at an hour that welcomes audiences of all ages. Photo: Nathan Bajar

Over the years, “Warm Up” has become one of the most enduring and celebrated museum-based music programs in the U.S., known for championing innovative, underground and diverse voices. For more than two decades, it has featured both legendary and rising performers. Acts have spanned genres—from electronic to hip-hop, experimental to pop—with performers including Honey Dijon, sophie, Richie Hawtin, Arca, Cardi B, lizzo, solange, Jamie Xx, Four Tet and many others.

“Warm Up” welcomes an average of 15,000-20,000 attendees each year across six events. Even the most recent session sold out by noon on the day of the show, as confirmed during the call. For its final Friday night, “Warm Up” hosted a lineup that included Urban Tribe founder DJ Stingray 313 from Berlin, DJ Travella from Kampala-based label Nyege Nyege Tapes in Dar es Salaam, the duo Natural Wonder Beauty Concept and xexexe/halfpet with Charlot Abhors A Void from New York—an international and avant-garde mix in a single night that highlighted the program’s global reach.

The museum has also grown more intentional about sustainability—both in terms of audience experience and the labor involved in producing the event. “In another era, we might have just kept selling tickets endlessly, but now we’re more intentional about capacity,” Rittenbach says. “We’re not overpacking the space, so people can actually enjoy being there and listening to the music.”

A sunlit courtyard at MoMA PS1 filled with people gathering for Warm Up. Groups sit, stand, and chat against the backdrop of a large green wall mural reading “ARTISTS MAKE NEW YORK.” — The event builds from experimental sounds to dancefloor breakbeats throughout the evening. Photo: Nathan Bajar

The afternoon-to-evening schedule (4-10 p.m. this year) allows “Warm Up” to attract a wide audience—from young people using it as a prelude to a night out, to families with kids, to teenagers experiencing their first party. “A lot of people now attend with their kids, and for some teens ‘Warm Up’ is often the very first party they ever went to growing up in New York, since you don’t have to be 21 to enter.”

This mix introduces a broader public to both the history of U.S. music and the new sounds emerging today, advancing a clear educational mission while deepening appreciation for music as a cultural form.

Still, while the program has proven to be a powerful tool for engagement and growth, revenues primarily cover the cost of running it. “What I’ll say is that even though ‘Warm Up’ is a revenue-generating event, the ticket sales mostly go toward covering costs—things like additional security, extra staff and extended hours,” Rittenbach explains. “In that sense, the income helps sustain the series itself.”

MoMA PS1 is typically free for New York residents, but admission to “Warm Up” is priced comparably to a standard museum ticket and offers a more expansive experience. Since its post-pandemic relaunch, ticket holders have also gained access to the exhibitions, offering a more integrated cultural experience. “I think that’s part of why we’ve had so many sold-out shows this year—people recognize the value,” Rittenbach says. “For us, it’s crucial to at least cover the costs so we can devote significant resources to a program of this size, which really goes above and beyond what we typically do in the winter season.”

Music at museums globally

Although MoMA PS1’s “Warm Up” is the longest-running museum music program, it’s no longer alone. Since the post-pandemic period, the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin has emerged as a prominent site for raving in the museum, particularly through its summer series “Berlin Beats”—a free, open-air program of weekly DJ sets in the museum’s garden from June to August, with special sessions timed to Berlin Art Week and the Berlin Biennale. Curated by Charlotte Knaup and coordinated by Angelika Jaros, the series is shaped with curatorial rigor and deep research, spotlighting some of the most compelling experimental music voices from around the world.

A large crowd gathers in the garden courtyard of the Hamburger Bahnhof museum in Berlin for an outdoor music event. A DJ performs under a small white tent in front of the building’s grand arched windows and neoclassical façade, which is lit with neon green panels and vertical light strips. — “Berlin Beats” is a free, open-air program of weekly DJ sets in the Hamburger Bahnhof garden. Berlin Beats, Venetta, Kultursommerfestival, 20 July 2023, Hamburger Bahnhof–Nationalgalerie der Gegenwar.

Last year’s edition drew around 50,000 visitors—a major success when measured by public engagement. While the event was not ticketed, it still generated revenue indirectly through on-site street food, drinks and extended exhibition hours. More importantly, it brought in new audiences and positioned the museum as a space that the city’s younger population actively engages with.

Similar initiatives have emerged in London. Tate Modern and Tate Britain now host late-night summer programs every Friday and Saturday, with DJs, live music, performances and other activations animating the Turbine Hall or the historic rotunda until 9 p.m. For example, the upcoming “Late at Tate” at Tate Britain on September 5 will open with a live role-playing game performance led by artist Wingshan, followed by a lineup of other performances, poetry readings and zine-making workshops. On the main stage, Brixton-based Reprezent Radio will showcase the best of new London sound. For those seeking a break from the building’s many activations, there will also be a wellness-inspired chill-out space “to reset your senses and recharge.”

The Palais de Tokyo in Paris has similarly built a reputation for merging contemporary art and nightlife, especially during fashion weeks and art fairs. Late-night openings feature DJs and immersive installations often tied to current exhibitions. From its founding, the Palais has positioned itself as a bridge between art, nightlife and youth culture, hosting events that stretch until midnight and beyond. DJs, performers and experimental musicians transform the museum’s cavernous concrete halls into spaces that resemble clubs or underground venues. This summer, from July 17 to September 4, 2025, Palais de Tokyo is offering free admission every Thursday evening, with the museum open until midnight.

Young people dance and laugh together near a DJ booth inside Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall during a "Late at Tate" event, with the vast industrial space filled with a lively crowd. — Warp Records has collaborated with Tate Modern Lates on DJ’ed events, workshops and film screenings. Photo: Sophie Shaw

Music, more than any other art form, has a singular ability to communicate across cultural and linguistic boundaries. At the same time, collective dancing as ritual has threaded its way from humanity’s earliest civilizations to today’s museum raves because it fulfills a basic human need: to feel like part of something larger than oneself.

Neuroscience affirms what ancient cultures already knew: synchronized movement releases endorphins, fosters empathy and builds trust. That’s why raving in museums need not feel like an intrusion but rather a return to ritual foundations—as institutions once known for elitist silence reactivate one of humanity’s oldest strategies for building community. With traditional third spaces in decline and younger generations less anchored to club culture, museums are arguably well positioned to serve as platforms for these collective rituals—spaces where the evolving relationship between art and music can be explored and experienced in real time.