It’s been a special summer in New York City. But even without a Knicks championship and World Cup excitement, it’s always a special summer here, thanks in part to the bounty of free outdoor music by talented performers that takes place across the five boroughs. These concerts happen mainly in parks and frequently as part of well-established series such as SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn and Summer for the City.
Over the next couple of months, you can catch notable acts such as Tyla, Ted Leo and De La Soul; hear Broadway tunes and Moroccan music; enjoy Afro-Peruvian folk and good old-fashioned rock; and all kinds of other genres. Find our highlighted shows below and start planning your next open-air, tune-filled good time.
Morocco: From Dakhla to Casablanca. Courtesy, Summerstage
Morocco: From Dakhla to Casablanca
July 15, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Manhattan
Celebrate the sounds of El Maghreb at Central Park’s SummerStage with a lineup of artists presenting a fusion of musical styles from Morocco and the larger African continent. Hear Moroccan musical traditions that blend reggae, rock and the Gnawa style that originated in West Africa.
Mycelium. Photo: Apiwich
Mycelium: A Solar-Powered Concert
July 16, Riverside Park South, Pier 1, Manhattan
Thai Swedish artist Sirintip Phasuk brings Mycelium, a solar-powered, orchestral-pop concert inspired by fungi, plankton and the natural systems at work around us, to Riverside Park’s Pier I as part of Summer on the Hudson. The multifaceted Phasuk is a singer, songwriter and producer known not only for her ethereal voice and compositions inspired by the natural world, but for her work as a sought-after studio producer who has collaborated on over 30 releases.
Nathan Williams. Photo: Phillip Gould
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
July 17, Bryant Park, Midtown Manhattan
Experience the Black Creole tradition of zydeco, bringing Louisiana right to the heart of Midtown thanks to Carnegie Hall’s series of free concerts. Dance to the accordion sounds of one of the premier zydeco bands of the last 40 years, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, as they blend reggae, R&B and rock with this southern Louisiana tradition.
De La Soul. Courtesy, SummerStage
De La Soul
July 17, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
De La Soul, which formed not far from the City, out on Long Island, have been beloved since their breakthrough album, 3 Feet High and Rising. Head to this SummerStage show in Queens to catch the group, still plugging with positivity even after the loss of the late Trugoy the Dove. They are joined by Pete Rock, best known for his hit “T.R.O.Y.” with CL Smooth, and comedian Hannibal Buress.
Broadway in Bryant Park. Photo: Steve Prue
Broadway in Bryant Park
July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, Bryant Park, Midtown West, Manhattan
The Great White Way’s hottest performers belt out popular songs from beloved Broadway—and Off-Broadway—shows. Check out the lineup to catch old favorites like Wicked, Moulin Rouge! and The Book of Mormon, plus some newer titles like Two Strangers (Carry a Cake across NYC), Titanique and Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody.
Citi Concert Series Presents Tyla on the Today Show
July 24, Rockefeller Plaza, 35 W. 48th St., Midtown Manhattan
South African pop star Tyla joins the Today show live in NYC to promote her second studio album A*Pop, which drops that very day. If an arrival time of 5am sounds reasonable enough to see the global superstar, sign up for the chance to snag a Fan Pass for yourself and three other guests to witness Tyla perform new music.
NYC Ska Orchestra. Photo: Gary Dean Clarke
NYC Ska Orchestra
July 24, Bryant Park, Midtown West, Manhattan
If you’ve been sitting around and waiting for the opportunity to show off your skanking skills, your time has come. Carnegie Hall Citywide presents this Bryant Park Picnic Performance featuring a big band led by ska and reggae legends Kevin Batchelor, Larry McDonald and Carl Wright—musicians who have performed with the likes of Steel Pulse and Toots and the Maytals. Get on your dancing shoes.
Susana Baca. Courtesy, Summerstage
Afro-Latinas: Susana Baca, Luedji Luna and More
July 26, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Manhattan
Headliner Susana Baca is an international star, known for her Afro-Peruvian music, her work as the minister of culture in her homeland of Peru and various collaborations with David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label. Luedji Luna is a Brazilian singer-songwriter with a recent Latin Grammy to her name; other performers include Mai-Elka Prado, founder of the Afro-Latino Festival, which is a co-sponsor of this SummerStage event.
Chispa. Photo: Steph S. Cortes
Chispa
July 26, Riverside Park South, Pier 1, Upper West Side, Manhattan
Chispa, led by vocalist, songwriter and urban farmer Julia Rocha-Nava, puts on a sunset concert that spotlights the sounds and rhythms of Latin America and the Caribbean. Fusing styles like Cumbia and Bolero, Chispa invites the audience to join them as they pay homage to their land and roots through the healing power of music.
Amelia Day
July 30, Wagner Park, Lower Manhattan
On Thursdays in July, the River & Blues Fest highlights an array of rootsy acts at a downtown green space on the Hudson. This evening of folk pop comes courtesy of Amelia Day, who at 23 has carved out a niche for her affecting lyricism and multi-instrumental talents.
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
August 1, Tompkins Square Park, East Village, Manhattan
Leo has carved out a long career as an indie punk pop hero, collecting bona fides along with way through his early band Chisel, collaborations with Aimee Mann and a stint as a guitarist for a revived Gang of Four. Catch him with his longtime band, the Pharmacists, in the East Village.
Globalfest
August 1, The Dance Floor at Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan
This year’s Globalfest at Lincoln Center presents three acts playing music from Africa, followed by a silent disco hosted by DJ duo Dualitty. As part of the Summer for the City series, vocalist Aleida Almeida represents Cape Verde while Sudanese American Sinkane fuses pop with rock, soul and electronica. Saha Gnawa works in the Moroccan Gnawa tradition while blending it with jazz and other elements.
Courtesy, Lincoln Center
Hurray for the Riff Raff
August 5, The Dance Floor at Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan
There’s a reason Bronx-born Alynda Segarra, who began recording as Hurray for the Riff Raff in New Orleans in 2007, is mentioned as one of the top songwriters around these days. Their folk rock brings in lots of influences—punk, blues and Latin music among them—and communicates a world-wise attitude.
Malkit Singh. Courtesy, Lincoln Center
Malkit Singh
August 6, The Dance Floor at Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan
Witness the work of prolific artist Malkit Singh, otherwise known as the King of Bhangra. Singh has topped the Indian charts for 40 years, touring internationally and selling millions of records. He experiments with sound while staying true to his genre’s tradition and roots.
Jazz at Rockaway Beach. Photo: Kupferberg Center for the Arts
Jazz at Rockaway Beach: Wycliffe Gordon
August 6, Beach 94th Street Amphitheater at Rockaway Beach, Queens
The Queens Jazz Trail Concert series welcomes audiences to Rockaway Beach for the sounds of trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, who is director of Jazz Studies at Augusta University and a former member of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Bring your chairs and blankets to watch jazz come to life at the shore.
Black Uhuru. Courtesy, Lincoln Center
Jamaica Day: Black Uhuru
August 8, The Dance Floor at Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan
Join one of the most famous reggae bands, Black Uhuru, as they headline Jamaica Day at Lincoln Center. The first-ever winners of the Grammy for Best Reggae Album (back in 1985), the group is headlined by founding member Derrick “Duckie” Simpson and still going strong after 50 years.
Funk Flex Birthday Fest
August 8, South Meadow, Snug Harbor, Randall’s Manor, Staten Island
Get those air horns ready: it’s NYC personality and Hot 97 royalty Funkmaster Flex’s birthday, and the City is invited to celebrate. The Funk Flex Birthday Fest is headlined by house singer Crystal Waters, known for hits like “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless),” and other local artists in the Funk Flex circle.
Citi Concert Series presents Katseye on the Today! Show
August 14, Rockefeller Plaza, 35 W 48th St., Midtown Manhattan
Catch pop-girl group Katseye performing as part of the Today! Citi Concert Series. Argue about why Katseye is a global pop group rather than a K-pop group while checking in for the free show at 5:15am.
Lyricist Lounge
August 14, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
It’s been 35 years of growth from a small passion project for open-mic rapping to a big brand in the hip-hop universe. The lineup for this year’s show, part of Celebrate Brooklyn, hasn’t been announced yet, but last year Raekwon, one of Wu-Tang Clan’s founding members, was the featured performer—so check back to see what star shows up this time.
Sasha Velour. Photo: Alexey Kim
Sasha Velour’s NightGowns
August 21, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Experience the drag variety show that has amassed artist and drag performer Sasha Velour many fans since it began a monthly run in New York City more than 10 years ago. NightGowns has since been adapted into a musical as well as a docuseries; see the stage performance for free at Celebrate Brooklyn.
Common Honors Harry Belafonte
August 28, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Close out the month of August with hip-hop artist and activist Common, the Action Lab’s 2025 Belafonte Fellow, plus a few special guests. His commitment to social justice speaks to the legacy of actor and singer Harry Belafonte, who used his fame and platform to support the civil rights movement.
Samara Joy. Photo: AB+DM
Verve Records 70th Anniversary Celebration
September 2, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Manhattan
This late-season SummerStage show marks the 70 th anniversary of Verve, a record label known mainly for its groundbreaking jazz artists. The company also introduced bossa nova to American audiences, most famously by way of Getz/Gilberto, a recording that featured the timeless “Girl from Ipanema.” Hear musician Mei Semones and a number of her collaborators perform songs from that album, as well as Samara Joy and Christian McBride play jazz tunes from the Verve catalog.
Find more summer events here.
