The city might appear to lose its sparkle once the holidays come to a close, but January events are swooping in to make the cold weather worth enduring.
Sure the season of gifting and merrymaking might not return for another full calendar year, but the wintertime is worth embracing with ice skating, new cultural hubs, steep discounts across the best of NYC, and so much more.
While yes, we might not be thrilled to see where the thermostat lands right now, trust us when we say hibernating is not an option…even if we’re due for the snowiest winter in five years.
Have a look at some of our favorite January things to do and start mapping out that new calendar you snagged at the holiday market this year.
Want to take a trip back to Middle-earth in the new year? Now is your chance.
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences and Candlelight are bringing magical evenings to life with Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings , a classical music concert fans of the fantasy series (and beyond) will appreciate.
This 60-minute journey at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights features a string quartet performing iconic scores from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Tickets are now on sale for this stunning tribute to the film’s 25th anniversary. Concerts take place on select dates from February 14th to April 25th.
Although the holidays might come and go quickly, winter weather is here to stay.
Fasten your beanie and grab your oversized scarf for a spin around NYC’s best ice skating rinks. (Yes, they’re worth braving the cold.)
From Roebling Rink in Dumbo, where you can glide beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, to the newfound waterfront rink situated in Domino Park, there are plenty of spots that offer adventure and gorgeous scenery to boot.
Naturally, favorites like the rink at Winter Village at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are always crowd-pleasers — and likely less hectic once Christmastime is in the rearview mirror.
Temperatures are plummeting, but performances are heating up on the Great White Way.
During Broadway Week, which runs from January 20th to February 12th, New Yorkers have visitors have an opportunity to catch the best musicals, comedies and dramas with an enticing two-for-one price tag. Not too shabby, huh?
Although you’ll have to wait until January 7th for the full 2026 lineup, past participating productions include:
- Mamma Mia!
- MJ The Musical
- The Outsiders
- The Lion King
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow
What are you hoping to catch this season?
With over 100 participating cities and over three million attendees, Candlelight Concerts never disappoint.
String musicians set up shop across some of NYC’s most iconic, historic attractions — thousands of (faux) candles and all — and perform a classical take on some of today’s most popular musicians: Lauryn Hill, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, and beyond.
Catch the upcoming Candlelight schedule in New York and book your tickets ASAP!
Start the new year on a relaxing note and take in a stunning candlelight concert at QC Spa on Governors Island
The weather might be frightful, but once you take a dip into a relaxing, heated pool overlooking NYC — and allow a string concert to ease the tension — you might not be terribly inclined to leave.
Concert tickets start at $124 and are available for 4:30 and 5:30pm on January 3rd. Book your tickets now.
Winter is prime time to hit NYC’s best museums and exhibits, and thanks to Must-See Week, the attractions’ equivalent of Broadway Week, you can go gallery hopping with two-for-one tickets.
The promotion will also run from January 20th to February 12th, and a full list of participants is TBA. In years past, the following attractions participated in the fun:
- MoMA
- Guggenheim
- The Intrepid
- SPYSCAPE
All aboard: the final Holiday Train Nights event at New York Botanical Garden is happening this Saturday.
Grab a a cup of cider or cocoa and peruse the completely transformed Haupt Conservatory — a bustling replica of NYC, complete with locomotives zipping about.
Enjoy the season at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alicia Graf Mack has taken over Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as its new artistic director, and she’s bringing a wonderful winter lineup along for the ride.
From family matinees to evening performances, Ailey offers a lot to love with classics like Revelations to new favorites like Medhi Walerski’s Blink of an Eye and Jamar Roberts’ Song of the Anchorite, to name a few.
Get your tickets (from $45) now!
See what’s playing in theaters
Give your streaming service of choice a li’l breather and head to the theaters.
Whether you’re craving a throwback — the 40th anniversary screening of Labyrinth — or looking out for the latest hit (lookin’ at you, Marty Supreme), there are plenty of movies in theaters in NYC.
What’s on your watch list?
Cozy season is in full swing in NYC, and The Little Bookshop in Brooklyn is the perfect place to venture for all the comfort you’re craving when temperatures dip.
The newly-opened bookstore on Bushwick Avenue welcomes readers to explore its generous selection, but the family-run business takes things a step further by shifting into soup mode with bowls of butter bean stew and sides of sourdough.
“We wanted to make sure we could nourish people outside of books and things like that,” owner Ashley Jones tells Secret NYC.
Need a night out? Mad Radio NYC is calling.
The newly-opened space in Williamsburg is a hybrid of sorts: part club, part record shop, part bar, and part broadcast studio.
Secret NYC’s writer, Corey Fuller, refers to the new Brooklyn hotspot as “an 85-person venue that blends underground club energy with the creative spirit of a community arts space.”
Hue House is giving Midtown the “cool” factor it deserves.
Secret NYC writer Brianna Perry describes the four-story debut as “a massive cultural and creative hub” and “a living love letter to the Asian diaspora.”
Expect high-end cocktails, street food, art, and traditional Chinese healing all under one roof.
In 2026, a new phase of Hue House will open, featuring a café and pop-ups with Asian lifestyle goods like records, ceramics, and decor, to name a few.
If you can’t take a plane ride to Asia in the near future, consider this your next best bet.
Don’t let the temperatures fool you: wintertime is the perfect season for an outdoor spa treatment.
With help from The Rockaway Hotel & Spa’s heated outdoor pool, cedar barrel saunas, and a cozy winter pool house, you’ll be reaching for your bathing suit in no time.
School’s not in session, but why not take the opportunity to learn a new skill or two?
From sushi-making to crafting cocktails, painting to crafting, plenty of classes are on tap to help the cold weather pass with ease.
Need a change of scenery?
If you can’t get out of town, you can still feel worlds away with a stay at a local hotel. This year’s Hotel Week offers 25% off stays to the following locales:
- W New York – Union Square
- Lotte New York Palace
- The Pierre
- The Plaza
- Marriott Marquis
- Renaissance New York Flushing at Tangram
- The Rockaway Hotel
- Ace Hotel Brooklyn
- Romer Hell’s Kitchen
Why not live out your Home Alone dreams at The Plaza for a night or two? Just a thought!
Comfort food tastes its best when the cozy factors peak — it’s just a fact.
Have a hearty bowl of ramen as the snow falls. Some of our go-to spots? HinoMaru, Ivan Ramen, and Nakamura, to name a few.
Our guide to the best ramen in NYC will help make your next dinner out a major success.
Dry January might not include alcohol, but it certainly doesn’t skimp on the flavor.
Non-alcohol bars in NYC concoct plenty of unique mixtures that are worth a late night out. What can we grab you?
Ring in the New Year with NY1 & Broadway’s biggest stars
Staying in on New Year’s Eve? We found the perfect way to celebrate, so grab your champagne flutes and noisemakers.
Bid adieu to 2025 and spend its final few hours alongside the NY1 anchors Shannan Ferry and Dean Meminger on December 31st. The duo will countdown to the new year starting at 11pm and have Broadway guests along for the ride!
Additionally, Roger Clark will chat with the crowd braving the cold in Times Square while George Whipple will report from the festivities at Tavern on the Green.
Why hit the ice in skates when you can glide through the rink in a bumper car?
The winterized amusement park staple first made its debut at Winter Village at Bryant Park nearly six years ago, and since then, it’s become a highly-popular tradition in NYC.
Learn more about ticketing and what’s to come on the Bryant Park website.
Celebrate 150 years of the Westminster Dog Show
“The Life of a Show Dog,” the new exhibit at the AKC Museum of the Dog celebrates “150 years of competition, camaraderie, and the unbreakable bond between humans and their dogs.”
We can’t think of a more appropriate way to honor man’s best friend
Attend the AKC Westminster Dog Show
If you’re a dog lover, now is your chance to celebrate your four-legged friend.
The AKC Westminster Dog Show is coming to town with events from Saturday, January 31st to Tuesday, February 3rd with pop-ups at both the Javits Center and Madison Square lineup.
For tickets and a full lineup of pup-tacular happenings, visit the AKC website.
A classic game gets a modern touch at 7 Spring, a “bespoke backgammon café and retail haven” based in Nolita.
Grab a group of friends, order a hot cocoa and kick back for a game or two.
MoMA PS 1 is now free
Who said quality art comes at a price?
Beginning promptly on January 1st, 2026, MoMA PS 1 is set to become the largest free museum in NYC, courtesy of assistance from creative entrepreneur, Sonya Yu.
Check out the current exhibitions and plan your visit ASAP.