New York City comes alive in summer, with fun and entertaining festivals across all five boroughs – something is happening nearly every weekend and on plenty of weekdays, as well. Most festivals take place outside and range from music and theatre to opera and food, with several focusing on a particular nationality or culture, hosting a range of performances and activities. So, start planning your NYC summer with this list of our favourite festivals happening from June to September.
Central Park Summerstage
This long-running festival (38 years and counting!) takes over Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, with satellite performances across parks in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, as well. Performances cover everything from dance to comedy, and events run all summer long – from Andra Day's opening night performance on 1st June to Brittany Howard and Michael Kiwanuka closing it out on 3rd October. Other 2024 performers include Counting Crows, Ghostface Killah, the Roots, Ballet Hispanico, Robert Glasper, Café Tacuba, and Corinne Bailey Rae. Many shows are free, but some have fees and require advance tickets.
Central Park Summerstage
Lincoln Center Summer for the City
The plaza in front of Lincoln Center (and various spaces in and around the area) lights up all summer long with dance performances and parties, film screenings, concerts, author readings, comedy shows, virtual reality experiences, silent discos with renowned DJs, special kids programmes, and more, starting on 12th June.
All performances are free or pay-what-you-can (tickets are required, though) – don't miss the Celebration of Literature from the Indian Diaspora featuring cookbook author Priya Krishna, former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, and memoirist and journalist Yashica Dutt. Other shows to see include Grammy award-winning composer and salsa musician Jeremy Bosch, UK reggae legends Steel Pulse, and performances of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony with a Huang Rao premiere.
Lincoln Center Summer for the City
The Bronx Book Festival
From 5th–9th June, the Bronx welcomes the seventh annual Bronx Book Festival with events in Fordham Plaza and a kickoff party at the Andrew Freedman Home. This year’s keynote authors are multi-award-winning author Colson Whitehead (The Underground Railroad, Harlem Shuffle, Crook Manifesto), Chloe Gong (Our Violent Ends, Immortal Longings), and Kamilah Cole (So Let Them Burn). Other authors at the main festival on 8th June include Ellen Hagan, Janelle Harper, Andrew Boryga, Krystal Quiles, Jennifer Baker, and Robert Samuels. There will be readings, panels, book signings, and more.
(L) Chloe Gong | (R) Colson Whitehead
Brasil Summerfest
A month-long music and arts festival celebrating Brazilian culture, Brasil Summerfest has been going strong since 2011. Whilst it started mainly as a spotlight on Brazilian music, in recent years it has grown to include art exhibitions, film screenings, dance performances, panels and discussions, and Brazilian food and drink. The music portion is still a focus, with concerts featuring samba, baile funk, and everything in between; past years have featured shows by Seu Jorge, Forro in the Dark, Bebel Gilberto, and Alceu Valença. This year, it takes place from 2nd–23rd July – but the final lineup has yet to be announced.
Brasil Summerfest
Harlem Week
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the annual Harlem Week, so expect big celebrations and exciting performances at this year's festival. The first Harlem Day (it originally started as just one day and has since grown to a week) in 1974 was co-founded by such luminaries as Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, and Ornette Coleman. Now, the annual festival works to promote the rich African-American, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, and European history, arts, culture, religion, business, entertainment, and sports of Harlem through performances, panels, celebrations, and more. Experience it for yourself from 7th–18th August.
Harlem Week
Shakespeare in the Park
Since 1954, The Public Theater’s annual festival has been sharing the work of William Shakespeare with New Yorkers free of charge. It typically takes place at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, with each season putting on two plays. This year, though, the Delacorte is being renovated and restored, so the Public has come up with the roving bilingual adaptation by Mobile Unit of The Comedy of Errors, which will travel to various parks across all five boroughs.
Shakespeare in the Park
Met Opera HD Festival
For 15 years, more than 2,500 New Yorkers and tourists have gathered at the plaza at Lincoln Center to view ten exhilarating performances from the company’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. Whilst the 2024 season hasn’t been announced yet, last year’s festival ran from 25th August–4th September and featured a 2022 performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata with Nadine Sierra, a 2022 performance of Kevin Puts’ adaptation of the novel and movie The Hours with Kelli O’Hara, and a 2018 Franco Zeffirelli-directed performance of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, starring Sonya Yoncheva Michael Fabiano.
Met Opera HD Festival
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