All The Free Concerts Coming To NYC This Summer

Thanks to all of our fantastic Parks, New Yorkers have plenty of choices for where to spend time outdoors during the warm weather months. And besides enjoying picnics, games or just lounging, you can also hear some incredible music performances in NYC Parks this summer, and all for free.

Many cultural institutions partner with local Parks to bring musical sounds to the public when the weather warms up, and so many have recently been announced that we had to put them all in one, easy-to-read spot so you can start planning out your summer.

Here are all of the free concerts coming to NYC this summer (so far!), outdoors:

Bryant Park, “Picnic Performances”

Various dates May 27-September 7 beginning at 7 p.m., the Lawn

May/June

• May 27: New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville
• June 3: Contemporary Dance: Performers TBA
• June 4: Contemporary Dance: Ariel Rivka Dance and Works & Process at The Guggenheim’s The Missing Element
• June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel
• June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Music From the Sole
• June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park
• June 24: Emerging Music Festival curated by Ad Hoc
• June 25: Emerging Music Festival curated by Ad Hoc

July

• July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble
• July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project
• July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers
• July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta
• July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
• July 28: Artist TBA
• July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Artist TBA

August

• August 5: Artist TBA
• August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata
• August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang
• August 26: Habibi Festival with Joe’s Pub: Esraa Warda, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO
• August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage

September

• September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor
• September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin Evans
• September 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem
• September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More
• September 17: American Symphony Orchestra

See more info on their website here.

Hudson River Park

This season three different types of musical events will be offered: Sunset on the Hudson, Jazz at Pier 84, and the Blues BBQ Festival.

Sunset on the Hudson

A free series featuring both established and emerging NYC artists across a broad range of genres. Enjoy this music at 7 p.m. at Pier 45 (West Village) on the following days:

• Every Friday (beginning June 3 – August 26)

Jazz at Pier 84

Listen to smooth tunes in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America. Catch the show at 7 p.m. at Pier 84 (Hell’s Kitchen) on the following dates:

• June 8
• June 22
• July 6
• July 20
• August 3
• August 17
• August 31

Blues BBQ Festival, Pier 76 at W 34 St.

Head to the fan-favorite Blues BBQ Festival for beer, BBQ, and blues music. The lineup features artists such as Jackie Venson, Dwayne Dopsie, and Walter Wolfman Washington.

• August 13 / 1 p.m. / Pier 76

You can find out more specifics on their website here.

New York Philharmonic, “Concert in the Parks”

• Tuesday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m.: Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx. Enter the park from Broadway, near West 251st Street. Concert site is north of the baseball fields.
• Wednesday, June 15 at 8:00 p.m.: Central Park, Great Lawn, Manhattan. Westside entrances: West 81st or 86th Streets at Central Park West. Eastside entrances: East 79th or 85th Streets at Fifth Avenue
• Thursday, June 16 at 8:00 p.m.: Cunningham Park, Queens. Enter at 193rd Street, near 81st Avenue or Union Turnpike. Concert site is at 193rd Street Field.
• Friday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m.: Long Meadow Ballfields, Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Enter at Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park West at 9th Street, or Bartel-Pritchard Circle at the intersection of Prospect Park West, Prospect Park Southwest, and 15th Street.
• Sunday, June 19 at 4:00 p.m.: St. George Theatre, Staten Island.

Be sure to stick around after each outdoor show for the fireworks that end-cap each performance in a truly spectacular fashion!

Hudson Yards, “Backyards at Hudson Yards”

Wednesdays at 6 p.m., June 1 – Aug. 3, in the Public Square & Gardens

• June 1^st: Nation of Language
• June 8^th: lovelytheband
• June 15^th: Colt Ford
• June 22^nd: Kiesza
• July 13^th: Arlissa
• July 20^th: Daya
• July 27^th: MICHELLE

Artists for the June 29^th, July 6^th, and August 3^rd performance dates will be announced soon.

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brass Bands Festival

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is hosting their second annual Brass Bands Festival. Musical sets by a diverse range of NYC’s brass band community will be going on all day, with set times starting at 2p.m. through 4:40p.m across multiple lawns and plazas. The set list is as follows:

• 2 p.m. – L Train Brass Band at Pier 6
• 2:30 p.m. – Sugartone Brass Band at the Visitors Center
• 3:10 p.m. – Ad Hoc Brass Band second line to Pier 4 Beach
• 3:15 p.m. – Ad Hoc Brass Band at Pier 4 Beach
• 3:50 p.m. – Ad Hoc Brass Band second line to Pier 3 Lawn
• 4 p.m. – Stoop Kidz Brass Band at Pier 3 Lawn
• 4:40 p.m. – Extra Syrup Horns at Pier 3 Plaza

Brooklyn Americana Music Festival

This two-day music event is filled with performances by 30 women-identified Brooklyn and NYC Americana musicians. They’ll perform original and traditional songs on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, ukulele, and more across a range of genres including Country, Folk, Blues, Old Time, Bluegrass, and Jazz. This event will take place the weekend of Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 from 3p.m. – 7p.m. at Pier 6 Liberty Lawn.

Sounds at Sunset

For Brooklyn Bridge Park’s 2022 Sounds at Sunset series enjoy music from an exciting and eclectic lineup, where four different music ensembles and acts guide you through genres of folk, jazz, classical, experimental, and luscious spaces in between. Each night at the verdant Pier 3 Greenway Terrace, some of NYC’s finest musical talents share their vision of the present and future in music. Concerts take place on Thursdays at 6 p.m.

• May 19 – Miriam Elhajli
• May 26 – NOMON
• June 9 -American Symphony Orchestra Ensembles: Italian Expressiveness and Expressionists
• June 16 – Adam O’Farrill’s Stranger Days

Lincoln Center

Sing New York

Put your vocals to the test with The Young People’s Chorus of New York City. This outdoor performance and singalong is happening only one day, on Saturday, May 14 at 2:30 p.m. (Sunday, May 15 at 1 p.m. if it rains). This is a celebration of unity and the warmer months ahead of us. If you’d like to get some practice in, songs include “This Little Light of Mine,” “Your Song,” “The Barber of Seville,” “La Sopa De Isabel,” “Love Train,” a surprise NYC medley of fan favorites, and many more.

Washington Square Park

Blue Note Jazz Festival

Washington Square Park is teaming up with Blue Note to celebrate the ten year tradition of music in the park with the 11th Annual Jazz Festival. The festival will be held at Arch Plaza in WSP on June 1 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. It will feature Grammy-award-winning jazz pianist Robert Glasper, as well as other great talented artists.

Of course, we expect spots like Little Island and Madison Square Park to host events again, so this list will be updated as more free concerts in NYC are announced!