The NY City Parks Foundation works in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, & education programs, & empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Check out all upcoming events at Central Park below.
ANNUAL SUMMERSTAGE GALA HONORING THE MUSIC OF JIMI HENDRIX
Produced by Michael Dorf & City Winery
JUST ANNOUNCED: WYCLEF JEAN
Featuring performances by Karl Denson / G. Love & Special Sauce / Bebel Gilberto / Amel Larrieux / Living Colour / The Roots / John Scofield / Soulive (house band) / Keller Willams and other very special guests. This annual fundraising benefit supports CPF’s free year-round arts programming. The night begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail party for Platinum and Gold table purchasers held in the Pergola Area at SummerStage. Dinner is served at 7:00 p.m., followed by the concert at 8:00 p.m….
Presented in Association with: Giant Step
BOBBY WOMACK / WILLIS EARL BEAL – DUE TO ILLNESS, THIS PERFORMANCE IS BEING RESCHEDULED. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS.
Due to an illness, R&B music legend Bobby Womack’s concert performance scheduled for June 7th is being rescheduled for mid to late July. Please stay tuned here for details….
BOTECOELETRO / SCREENING: RAUL
Inffinito’s mission is to promote and disseminate Brazilian culture and film across the world. Cine Fest Brasil in NYC is made possible by the diligent work and valued support of the Government of New York City, City Parks Foundation, Itamaraty,…
Bowery Presents
FOSTER THE PEOPLE / TOKYO POLICE CLUB / KIMBRA
SOLD OUT!
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs…….
THE NEW YORK POPS WITH OZOMATLI
The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. …
JOEY ARIAS
Iconoclastic singer and genre-bending performance artist Joey Arias teams up with award-winning bassist, composer Ben Allison and his band for a concert that’s sure to ruffle some feathers (or make you sprout new ones). …
DAWES / KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS
A self-described “American rock ‘n’ roll band,” Dawes represent everything pure and true about that genre, four talented friends making music together, fueled by a shared belief in the power of their songs.
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Blue Note Jazz Festival:
GROOVE THEORY / SOULIVE / RIQ & RAH WITH STRINGS (BLACK THOUGHT AND RAHZEL WITH STRINGS) / DJ ?UESTLOVE
Produced by Jill Newman Productions
At the age of 18, urban chanteuse, Amel Larrieux wrote and demoed a song, which led to her pairing with musician/producer Bryce Wilson to form the duo Groove Theory. The duo’s tunes, saturated with sounds of romance and sensuality were…
Comedy Central: Indecision in the Park
“THE DAILY SHOW’S” RORY ALBANESE / WYATT CENAC / ADAM LOWITT / AL MADRIGAL / JOHN OLIVER / KRISTEN SCHAAL
Hosted by: John Hodgman
“Indecision in the Park” is this year’s presentation of “COMEDY CENTRAL Park.” The event will feature stand-up from The Daily Show including performances by correspondents Wyatt Cenac, Al Madrigal, John Oliver, contributor Kristen Schaal, executive producer Rory Albanese, co-executive producer Adam Lowitt and hosted by John Hodgman. This marks the sixth consecutive year COMEDY CENTRAL has participated in this hugely successful SummerStage event….
ALABAMA SHAKES / DIAMOND RUGS / ROBERT ELLIS
The story of the Alabama Shakes begins in a high school psychology class in Athens, Alabama when Brittany Howard approached Zac Cockrell and asked if he wanted to try making music together. …
Bowery Presents
CHILDISH GAMBINO / DANNY BROWN / SCHOOLBOY Q
SOLD OUT!
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs….
Workmen’s Circle Yiddishfest 2012 – Singing for a Better World featuring:
THE KLEZMATICS / SOCALLED / DANIEL KAHN AND THE PAINTED BIRD / JOSHUA NELSON / NYT-FOLKSBIENE’S “SOUL TO SOUL” / YIDDISH PRINCESS
Presented in association with: The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
SummerStage celebrates the musical legacy of Eastern Europe with a day dedicated to Yiddish music celebrating traditional klezmer and modern interpretations that fuse the traditional with everything from rock to hip-hop influences. …
LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY WITH SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Join SummerStage as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the José Limón Dance Company and the “Summer of Limón” series. The company will premiere Come With Me, a specially commissioned dance piece set to live music by world-renowned GRAMMY® Award winning, Cuban composer, Paquito D’Rivera and choreography by Rodrigo Pederneiras of Brazil’s Grupo Corpo. This new work is Pederneiras’ first commission for a U.S dance company and D’Rivera’s first dance commission. …
LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY WITH SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Join SummerStage as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the José Limón Dance Company and the “Summer of Limón” series. The company will premiere Come With Me, a specially commissioned dance piece set to live music by world-renowned GRAMMY® Award winning, Cuban composer, Paquito D’Rivera and choreography by Rodrigo Pederneiras of Brazil’s Grupo Corpo. This new work is Pederneiras’ first commission for a U.S dance company and D’Rivera’s first dance commission. …
NORAH JONES / JIM CAMPILONGO TRIO
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs….
CBGB Festival
GUIDED BY VOICES / THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART / CLOUD NOTHINGS & MORE
SummerStage Kids Central Park Family Day Featuring:
JUSTIN ROBERTS & THE NOT READY FOR NAPTIME PLAYERS / ILLSTYLE & PEACE PRODUCTIONS / NEW YORK CHINESE CULTURAL CENTER / PERFORMERS FROM BINDLESTIFF FAMILY CIRKUS
SummerStage Kids’ Family Day is back for another raucous afternoon of whacky fun. This family affair will awaken the kid in all of us through engaging performance from around the world and around the corner, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, puppetry, music, dance classes, arts and crafts workshops, and magical mayhem!…
MALA RODRÍGUEZ / XIMENA SARIÑANA / PROFETAS / THE SCONEK-T
Presented in association with LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference)
Spanish rap star Mala Rodríguez rose to fame quickly, earning plenty of attention with her socially minded lyrics and strong femininity. Arising from the fertile hip-hop scene of Seville during the late ’90s, her debut album, Lujo Ibérico, established her…
KINKY / LOS AUTÉNTICOS DECADENTES / 3BALL MTY / DJ RAFF
Presented in association with LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference)
Known for their energetic live shows, Kinky is a Latin alternative group that draws from funk-rock as well as electronic dance music, resulting in a unique hybrid that has garnered them an international following. The five-piece band from Monterrey, Mexico…
GUTHRIE FAMILY REUNION CELEBRATING WOODY’S 100TH
For this special show, Guthrie will offer a rare and special tribute to his dad, Woody Guthrie, in celebration of Woody’s 100th birthday….
Bowery Presents
YOUNG THE GIANT
SOLD OUT!
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs….
THE UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE PRESENTS THE ALL STARS OF IMPROV
The Upright Citizens Brigade is home to some of the biggest stars in comedy today. …
BEBEL GILBERTO / CRIOLO / FLÁVIO RENEGADO / BÉCO DRANOFF (DJ)
Presented in Association with: Brasil Summerfest
Join SummerStage as we celebrate the newest generation of musicians making a mark on the Brazilian music scene with up and coming Brazilian hip-hop artists Criolo and Flávio Renegado making their New York City premiere. …
ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO / SMOD / BIBI TANGA & THE SELENITES / CHIEF BOIMA
Presented in Association with: Museum for African Art
The eternal youth of the legendary Orchestre Poly-Rythmo from Benin, Africa has stunned deejays and African music aficionados with their pure African funky sound for over forty years. …
Bowery Presents
BEACH HOUSE
SOLD OUT!
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs….
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA SUMMER RECITAL SERIES
The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series, first presented in 2009, returns this year with six performances in the parks of all five boroughs, kicking off July 25 at SummerStage in Central Park.
This performance features Met stars Danielle de Niese (soprano), Dimitri Pittas (tenor), and John Del Carlo (bass-baritone), accompanied by pianist Dan Saunders, in a program of favorite arias and duets. …
GARY CLARK JR. / GIVERS
Rarely does an artist explode onto the music scene like 26-year-old singer-guitarist Gary Clark Jr. when he delivered his incendiary debut performance of his song “Bright Lights” at Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. …
HÉCTOR ACOSTA “EL TORITO” / DJ LOBO / ALEX SENSATION
Presented in Association with: Globe Star Media and La Mega
Say the word merengue and if you’re talking about artists from the Dominican Republic, one voice stands out from all the rest. That voice belongs to Héctor Acosta….
SummerStage Theater Presented By Time Warner
THE POWER OF THE TRINITY
Written by: Roland Wolf / Adapted & Directed By: Alfred Preisser / Original Music Composition by Tomas Doncker
Live global-soul music sets the backdrop for SummerStage’s world premiere of The Power of the Trinity, a riveting, high-energy theatrical concert about Ethiopia’s last monarch, Emperor Haile Selassie and his unbreakable determination to save the kingdom from foreign invasion….
CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS WITH SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST IMANI UZURI / MALCOLM LOW FORMAL STRUCTURE / SPECIAL GUEST: DANCIN’ DOWNTOWN AT THE JOYCE CONTEST WINNER ”
Camille A. Brown & Dancers unite with vocalist and composer, Imani Uzuri for a thrilling premiere night of original choreography set to selections from Uzuri’s new album, The Gypsy Diaries, which will be performed live…
AMADOU & MARIAM / THEOPHILUS LONDON / JUST A BAND
Presented in Association with: Museum for African Art
The world of Amadou & Mariam is a musical sphere that stretches from the dusty streets of Mali to playing at Coachella and Lollapalooza….
5th Annual Gospel Explosion 2012
HEZEKIAH WALKER AND FRIENDS / VASHAWN MITCHELL / LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON / JAMES FORTUNE & F.I.Y.A.
Presented in Association with: Globe Star Media & WLIB
For over 25 years, Bishop Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir have spread the Gospel of Jesus to a variety of audiences, changing the lives of many around the world. …
Bowery Presents
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW / THE LUMINEERS / THE MILK CARTON KIDS
Tickets on Sale Friday, April 27 at Noon
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs. …
Bowery Presents
M83
SOLD OUT!
Proceeds from this concert help make possible over 100 free SummerStage programs.
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CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS / BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO / ABIGAIL WASHBURN
Presented in Association with: Museum for African Art
In 2005, three young musicians decided to travel every Thursday night to sit in the home of legendary fiddler Joe Thompson for a musical jam session. When the three students decided to form the Carolina Chocolate Drops, they did it mostly as tribute to Thompson, performing his music in dance halls. …
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4TH ANNUAL R&B FEST 2012
Presented in Association with: Globe Star Media and WBLS
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GOAPELE / YOLANDA ZAMA / SCREENING: COME BACK AFRICA
Presented in Association with: ImageNation Cinema Foundation
This year, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress, the leading democratic anti-apartheid party in South Africa, SummerStage and ImageNation celebrates South African culture with a performance by South African soul singers and activists, Goapele and Yolanda Zuma followed by a screening of the film, Come Back Africa a groundbreaking drama that explores the ravages of life under apartheid….
KORESH DANCE COMPANY / BALLETX SPECIAL GUEST: DANCIN’ DOWNTOWN AT THE JOYCE CONTEST WINNER
In 1991, Artistic Director Roni Koresh founded Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia. Twenty years later, the company has become one of the city’s most respected dance companies. …
Australia Day:
EMMA DONAVAN / HIGH HIGHS / GEORGE BYRNE / DJ ASHLEY FERAUDE WITH JONTY HALL
Supported by the Australian Consulate General in New York City
SummerStage celebrates Australia with a program showcasing the hottest acts in contemporary music from Down Under. …
Jamaica’s 50th Independence Day:
INNER CIRCLE / ISRAEL VIBRATION / THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS / DJ CARTER VAN PELT
Celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence with this day of Jamaican reggae music….