Delacorte Theater

Credit: © Jeff Goldberg/Esto

July 16, 2025

Delacorte Theater reopens in Central Park after $85M renovation

Central Park’s iconic Delacorte Theater officially reopened this week after an $85 million renovation. The Public Theater on Tuesday cut the ribbon on the revamped venue, which has undergone a comprehensive revitalization by Ennead Architects, the most significant work on the facility in its 63-year history. The project addresses critical safety and theater code requirements, improves infrastructure and backstage efficiency, and introduces a striking new exterior. The Delacorte will officially reopen to the public on August 7 for its first star-studded public performance of William Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night" as part of the beloved Free Shakespeare in the Park series.
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Architecture And Design

Shakespeare in the Park returns to new Delacorte Theater next summer with star-studded cast

Renderings courtesy of the Public Theater

July 26, 2024

Shakespeare in the Park returns to new Delacorte Theater next summer with star-studded cast

By Aaron Ginsburg

Shakespeare in the Park's much-anticipated return to the revitalized Delacorte Theater will feature a star-studded cast. The Public Theater on Thursday announced the lineup for next year's free Shakespeare in the Park program, which will reopen with a production of the classic comedy "Twelfth Night" featuring stars including Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Sandra Oh. Shakespeare in the Park is set to return to its home in Central Park in August 2025.
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Free Shakespeare in the Park program traveling to all five boroughs this summer

The company of Mobile Unit’s “The Comedy of Errors,” touring the five boroughs May 2-21 and returning to The Public May 25-June 11. Photo credit: Peter Cooper

February 14, 2024

Free Shakespeare in the Park program traveling to all five boroughs this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

Shakespeare is coming to a park near you this summer. The Public Theater on Tuesday announced its free Shakespeare in the Park program will travel to all five boroughs while its Central Park home, the Delacorte Theater, undergoes a renovation. Kicking off on May 28, "Go Public! A Festival of Free Shakespeare in the Park" includes a citywide tour of "The Comedy of Errors" by the theater's mobile unit at parks and plazas across the city, including on the Fifth Avenue Terrace at the New York Public Library and Bryant Park and in Hudson Yards.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC’s free Shakespeare in the Park program returns this week

The Delacorte Theater. Photo credit: Joseph Moran

June 6, 2023

NYC’s free Shakespeare in the Park program returns this week

By Aaron Ginsburg

Shakespeare in the Park, the Public Theater's beloved free program in Central Park, returns to the Delacorte Theater this week. Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, the Public will present one performance of "Hamlet" for an extended nine-week run from Thursday, June 8 until Sunday, August 6. A production of "The Tempest" will be presented from Sunday, August 27 through Sunday, September 3 before the Delacorte Theater closes for renovations.
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Landmarks approves design for $77M renovation of Delacorte Theater in Central Park

Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects.

January 26, 2022

Landmarks approves design for $77M renovation of Delacorte Theater in Central Park

By Michelle Cohen

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans for the revitalization of Central Park's Delacorte Theater, the city's first major post-pandemic outdoor theater investment. The new design's main goals are to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, protect the building from the ravages of a changing climate, and improve efficiency and comfort.
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Architecture And Design

Delacorte Theater