A free concert of Broadway hits will take over Times Square to celebrate NYC's 400th birthday
More than 20 hit productions are sending cast members to belt it out in the middle of Duffy Square. Expect show-stopping numbers from Aladdin, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, MJ, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mamma Mia!, & Juliet and many more—23 shows in total. Yes, even Stranger Things: The First Shadow will swap the Upside Down for Midtown.
The concert is part of Mayor Eric Adams' yearlong 'Founded By NYC' campaign, a birthday bash commemorating four centuries of the city's history. Already this year, the celebration has included 400 blocks of Summer Streets, citywide outdoor movies and a blockbuster Museum Mile Festival. This Times Square takeover is shaping up to be the marquee event.
'For well over 100 years, a small stretch of theaters in the heart of Manhattan has transported audiences across the entire world and through time,' said Mayor Adams. 'The story of Broadway is the story of New York City, and with 'Founded By Broadway' and this Times Square concert for all to partake in for free, we will help tell both of these stories this September.'
Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, added that there's 'only one Broadway and only one New York City,' calling the event 'a celebration of the energy, talent, and storytelling that define New York and inspire the world.'
The logistics: The concert runs 11am to 12:30pm, rain or shine, at Duffy Square (West 46th to West 47th Streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue). Admission is free and there are no tickets required; you can just show up and sing along if the spirit moves you.
For theater buffs, the timing couldn't be better: The event also kicks off Broadway Week, with two-for-one tickets on sale across dozens of shows. Consider it the city's gift that keeps on giving—just in case the free concert isn't enough.
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