Concerts

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 14, 2023

Rise Up NYC returns to the five boroughs with 8 free concerts

"Rise up NYC," a series of free concert events, is returning to New York City after debuting last summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the second year of the event series, which will bring eight easily-accessible live performances to all of the five boroughs. This year's Rise Up NYC will kick off on Wednesday, July 19, and run through Sunday, August 20, featuring critically acclaimed artists like K. Michelle, Stokley, Farmer Nappy, and Hot 97 Disc Jockey Funk Flex, with more performers to be announced.
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Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

Photo of Global Citizen Festival in Central by Anthony Quintano on Flickr

July 11, 2023

Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

The lineup for the 11th annual Global Citizen Festival in New York City has been revealed. Taking place on Central Park's Great Lawn on Saturday, September 23, this year's event includes headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ms. Lauryn Hill, with Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray, and the Stray Kids also set to perform. The free ticketed event connects music and activism, with a focus on tackling issues related to extreme poverty around the world, including empowering women and girls, fighting climate action, and alleviating the hunger crisis.
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Events & Things To Do

May 9, 2023

19 best spots in NYC for outdoor music this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

The summer is one of the most lively times of the year in New York City, with fun events everywhere you look. The season is especially exciting for music lovers who can enjoy an extensive selection of both free and ticketed shows at outdoor venues across the five boroughs. We've rounded up the best open-air spots hosting concerts in the coming months, from a jam-packed season at Forest Hills Stadium in celebration of its 100th anniversary to Lincoln Center's botanically-transformed campus for its three-month-long arts festival.
Get ready to groove

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A rendering of Sonic Sphere in The Shed’s 115-foot-tall McCourt space, 2023. Courtesy The Shed.

May 3, 2023

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 65-foot-tall spherical concert hall will hang suspended inside The Shed in Hudson Yards. Created by avante-garde architects Ed Cooke, Merijn Royaards, and Nicholas Christie, the Sonic Sphere offers concertgoers a truly unique experience with immersive 3-D sound and light explorations of music that redefine the idea of a concert hall. Performances in the sphere will run from June 9 through July 7.
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Events & Things To Do

80+ free outdoor performances happening in Times Square this summer

Images courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

April 20, 2023

80+ free outdoor performances happening in Times Square this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's annual celebration of its diverse creative community returns to Times Square this May. Hosted by the Times Square Alliance, TSQ Live will offer over 80 free, open-air performances at plazas throughout the neighborhood, allowing performers to show their craft on one of the world's most public stages. Running through September, TSQ Live features a variety of events, including live DJ sets, concerts, and dance performances from NYC institutions like Carnegie Hall, Pioneer Works, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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Events & Things To Do

Iconic NYC subway busker Ballerina Mime to perform at Lincoln Center

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong, © Lincoln Center

March 6, 2023

Iconic NYC subway busker Ballerina Mime to perform at Lincoln Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

A New York City busking sensation will emerge above ground to perform at Lincoln Center on Wednesday. The famed living statue the Ballerina Mime will perform alongside original chamber music from cellist Titilayo Ayangade and violist Edwin Kaplan, playing together as duo kayo. The event, called Living Statues, Living Music, will take place at the David Geffen Hall's Kenneth C. Griffin Sidewalk Studio on March 8 at 8 p.m.
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Events & Things To Do

Free pop-up performances by Broadway stars to take place across NYC next week

Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 19, 2022

Free pop-up performances by Broadway stars to take place across NYC next week

By Devin Gannon

Next week, you can enjoy Broadway performances for free. Four pop-up concerts will take place at plazas throughout New York City as part of "Broadway Forever," an initiative launched by NY Forever, a non-profit group that aims to help New York recover in the aftermath of Covid. The performances will run for four days starting on Tuesday, August 23 through Friday, August 26.
Details this way

NYC to host 10 free concerts across the five boroughs as part of ‘Rise Up’ series

RISE UP Summer Concert Series at Wingate Park in Brooklyn. Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 28, 2022

NYC to host 10 free concerts across the five boroughs as part of ‘Rise Up’ series

By Devin Gannon

A new concert series that will take place in every borough throughout the summer officially kicked off on Wednesday. The "Rise Up NYC' series involves 10 free community concerts in parks and outdoor spaces across the city. According to Mayor Eric Adams, the series is meant to "encourage New Yorkers to explore all of the city and reconnect with one another as the city emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic." The "Rise Up" series was announced with less fanfare than last year's "Homecoming" concert in Central Park, which was headlined by Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, and Bruce Springsteen and meant to celebrate NYC's recovery from Covid but later called off in the middle of it because of severe weather.
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All the free outdoor concerts happening in NYC this summer

Photo of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances by Ryan Muir

May 4, 2022

All the free outdoor concerts happening in NYC this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City once again will be full of exciting opportunities to see live music for free. From old standbys like SummerStage in Central Park and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! fest in Prospect Park to the newly announced Summer for the City festival at Lincoln Center, music lovers can enjoy a wide variety of performances spanning all genres, in all five boroughs, all for free.
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Hip hop legends to perform at four free concerts in NYC for ‘Homecoming Week’

Orchard Beach concert in 2017; Photo by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr on Flickr

July 29, 2021

Hip hop legends to perform at four free concerts in NYC for ‘Homecoming Week’

By Devin Gannon

Four free concerts featuring both legendary and up-and-coming hip hop musicians are coming to a borough near you. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday revealed the lineup of the shows, which are taking place as part of the city's "Homecoming Week," a weeklong celebration of New York City's comeback following the pandemic. Produced by the Universal Hip Hop Museum, the concerts will feature stars like KRS-One, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Big Daddy Kane, George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, and nearly 40 more performers.
See the lineups

Events & Things To Do

Free four-week arts festival with 160 performances headed to offshore park Little Island

By Devin Gannon

A month-long arts festival featuring more than 160 events and 460 artists will take place in New York City's newest public park next month. Called NYC FREE, the celebration will bring a variety of music, dance, and comedy performances to Little Island, the offshore park in Hudson River Park that opened this spring, over four weeks starting in August. The festival is the culmination of the state's "NY PopsUp" initiative, which launched earlier this year to revive New York's art and culture scene.
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Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 27, 2021

Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

By Devin Gannon

More than a dozen iconic musicians will take the stage in Central Park next month as part of a mega-concert celebrating the city's recovery from the coronavirus. Announced on Tuesday, the lineup for the concert, dubbed "WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert," includes major stars like Andrea Bocelli, Wyclef Jean, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers, LL COOL J, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, and more.
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NYC will host 5 free concerts as part of ‘Homecoming Week’

Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017. Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 22, 2021

NYC will host 5 free concerts as part of ‘Homecoming Week’

By Devin Gannon

New York City will host five huge free concerts in every borough next month to mark the city's recovery from the pandemic. Earlier this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for a "mega-concert" on Central Park's Great Lawn in August and later revealed the show's three major headliners: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson. On Thursday, the mayor said there will be four additional free concerts, one in each borough, as part of a weeklong celebration dubbed "Homecoming Week."
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11 best spots for outdoor concerts in NYC this summer

Photo of the Rooftop at Pier 17 by Ryan Muir on behalf of The Howard Hughes Corporation

July 22, 2021

11 best spots for outdoor concerts in NYC this summer

By Devin Gannon

After a year without live music, it's finally time to move and groove again. As part of the recovery of New York City's arts and culture scene, outdoor concerts are back. From rooftops and islands to city parks across the five boroughs, there are lots of places hosting outdoor shows this summer. Take in the sounds of summer, whether it be DJ sets on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library, jazz and classical tunes under the Manhattan Bridge, or silent discos at Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza.
Full list ahead

Events & Things To Do

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 1, 2021

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

By Devin Gannon

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson will headline the massive concert happening this August in Central Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. Last month, the mayor said he asked music producer and Brooklyn native Clive Davis to put together the concert, marketed as a celebration of New York's comeback following the pandemic. The full lineup of performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but de Blasio said the event will be "one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history."
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Foo Fighters, Springsteen return to NYC this month for first full-capacity shows in over a year

Photo by Ralph_PH on Flickr

June 8, 2021

Foo Fighters, Springsteen return to NYC this month for first full-capacity shows in over a year

By Devin Gannon

June is turning out to be a good month in New York City for rock 'n' roll. In the coming days, Bruce Springsteen will return to Broadway, the Foo Fighters will perform at Madison Square Garden, and The Strokes are taking on Irving Plaza. All performances will be at 100 percent capacity and for fully vaccinated fans only.
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September 9, 2020

Sting, Norah Jones, & more to perform in free SummerStage Jubilee virtual concert

By Devin Gannon

A free concert benefiting New York City parks programs will be live-streamed next week, with a number of renowned artists participating. Hosted by the City Parks Foundation, the SummerStage Jubilee takes place virtually on September 17 with performances from Sting, Norah Jones, Trey Anastasio, Rufus Wainwright, Leslie Odom Jr., Rosanne Cash, Emily King, PJ Morton, and more. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the foundation put its annual free outdoor concert series in Central Park, online for all to enjoy, dubbing it SummerStage Anywhere.
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