Free Concerts, Festivals and Events in New York This Summer

New York Times

7 days ago

Brooklyn Bridge Park Summer Programming
For 15 years, this park has put together a lineup of activities to rival its breathtaking views. Saturdays in May will feature dance classes on Liberty Lawn with instruction by companies such as American Ballet Theater. The Photoville Festival will set up its annual outdoor exhibition, June 7-22. In August, a Hindu lamp ceremony will take place at Pebble Beach; the Walt Whitman Initiative will lead a marathon reading of his poem 'Song of Myself' in September; and the Harvest Festival will wrap up the season.
Intrepid Summer Movie Series
On the fourth Friday of each summer month beginning at sunset, the museum will offer free screenings of films with a nautical theme, like 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' on June 27, in keeping with the exhibition 'Mysteries From the Deep: Underwater Archaeology.' Better yet, the movies will be shown on the flight deck. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is first come first served.
Summer on the Hudson
Need something to do on a random summer day? With more than 300 events to choose from through the fall, this Riverside Conservancy and NYC Parks series gives plenty of options, ranging from forest bathing sessions, evening yoga and a fishing clinic to sunset concerts, movie nights and children's entertainment. Standouts include the Fly NYC kite festival in August, the West Side County Fair in September and the Little Red Lighthouse Festival in October.
SummerStage
Since the Central Park Conservancy founded SummerStage in 1986, the annual series has expanded to include parks throughout the boroughs. The concert series offers something for everyone, including the Metropolitan Opera Summer Recitals in June, a Bastille Day celebration in July and the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in August. Rhiannon Giddens, Big Freedia, the Roots and Soccer Mommy are also on this year's lineup. Many performances are free and first come first served, but some charge admission.
Shakespeare for the City
A renovated Delacorte Theater will open its doors on Aug. 7 with the comedy 'Twelfth Night,' directed by the Tony-nominated Saheem Ali and featuring Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong'o and Sandra Oh. Before then, the Public Theater's Mobile Unit will bring another comedy, 'Much Ado About Nothing,' to parks around the city. And throughout Labor Day weekend, Public Works will stage 'Pericles' at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances
Every Friday evening this summer, as well as some Thursdays and Saturdays, there will be entertainment on the lawn of this Midtown oasis. The season kicks off with Electric Root's take on 'The Sound of Music.' Contemporary dance dominates in the first weeks of June, giving way to the Emerging Music Festival and then to the New York City Opera, which also performs in September. In July and August, Carnegie Hall Citywide presents musicians such as Cécile McLorin Salvant. August also brings events such as the New York City Circus Festival and Accordions Around the World.
Films on the Green
Back for its 17th edition, this outdoor festival advocates the best of French cinema. This year, the theme is fashion and there will be just one screening, starting at 8:30 p.m.: 'Coco Before Chanel' on Central Park's Cedar Hill.
River to River Festival
Established in the aftermath of Sept. 11, this festival from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council has taken a few weeks every summer to honor the city's resilience and creativity. This year the calendar extends into the fall and includes a Fish Migration Celebration from the Riverkeepers on June 14, a concert from Taylor Mac on July 29 and an outdoor installation by Maison Millefleurs in August and September in Battery Park.
Concerts in the Park
Since 1965, the New York Philharmonic has provided free summer serenades. This year, Gustavo Dudamel will lead the orchestra on the Great Lawn in Central Park on June 4; at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on June 5; at Prospect Park in Brooklyn on June 6; and at Cunningham Park in Queens on June 7. Those performances begin at 8 p.m. and conclude with fireworks. On June 8, an indoor concert that will include Britten's String Quartet No. 1 will be at St. George Theater on Staten Island starting at 2 p.m.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
Under the theme 'Where Brooklyn Meets … the World,' BRIC Arts Media's summer lineup will offer free concerts and screenings as well as benefit shows that explore the global roots of Brooklyn's culture. Performers include Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe, the Klezmatics, Buscabulla, Dinosaur Jr. and Gogol Bordello. Quincy Jones will be honored with screenings of 'The Greatest Night in Pop' and 'The Wiz.' And on July 19 the BRIC will take the celebration to Brower Park in Crown Heights for a showing of a documentary about the dance hall D.J. Sister Nancy. Free events are first come first served; tickets to the benefit concerts are available through BRIC's website.
Paramount+ Movie Nights at Bryant Park
For more than 30 years, this Midtown tradition has given us at least one reason to like Mondays. This summer kicks off with the teen classic 'Pretty in Pink' and ends with the mafia epic 'The Godfather.' Other titles include 'Good Will Hunting,' 'Interstellar' and 'Pulp Fiction.' Arrive at 5 p.m. to grab a spot, sample the food selection curated by Hester Street Fair, and enjoy some beer, wine or cocktails from Stout NYC; screenings start at 8 p.m.
The Museum Mile Festival
It's among the best block parties of the summer: From 6 to 9 p.m. on the second Tuesday of June, the stretch of Fifth Avenue that contains some of the city's most notable museums is the place to be. Not only will institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, El Museo del Barrio and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum forgo admission, they will also entertain visitors with free performances and activities indoors and out. (A word to the wise: The lines can get long, particularly at the more popular museums, so arrive early and go to your top pick first.)
Summer for the City
Since 2022, Lincoln Center has provided hundreds of free and pay-what-you-wish cultural events for two months every summer. Its biggest draw is the mega mirror ball above the dance floor on Lincoln Center's plaza, where multiple times each week bands playing genres such as swing, salsa and disco give visitors a reason to groove. It also includes concerts from the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center, celebrations for Brazil Week and the BAAND Together Dance Festival, and this year features a production of the 4,000-year-old Sanskrit epic 'Mahabharata,' the Run AMOC Festival and an American Sign Language version of 'Waitress: The Musical.'
Movies With a View
Every Thursday, this Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy series, which is celebrating 25 years, offers one of the best ways to enjoy a movie in summer — outdoors with the skyline of Lower Manhattan in view. This year's theme is 'Women and Hollywood' and kicks off with Emma Seligman's 2023 teen comedy 'Bottoms.' Screenings start at sundown. Arrive early for the concession stands and preshow entertainment.
Battery Dance Festival
For five nights in August, starting at 7, New York's longest-running free dance festival will gather local troupes and global ones to perform on a stage at the edge of Manhattan, with the setting sun as a backdrop. This year's lineup includes companies such as Buglisi Dance Theater, Fairul Zahid and Platforma 13. On Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., the festival will also mark the reopening of Wagner Park with performances from Marie Ponce, the Limón Dance Company and others.