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Can You Feel the Beat: Free Outdoor Summer Concert Spaces in NYC
One of the best parts of a summer in New York City is the wide array of free outdoor programs. There’s nothing like lying back in the grass while hearing crisp notes dance from a trumpet at Kingsborough’s Lighthouse Bandshell. There's nothing like watching the Delacorte Theater reawaken the words of Shakespeare under a starry night. Part of what makes our city so special is that it unites communities and cultures with free arts performances. While we won’t be able to share these moments in the summer of 2020, this story celebrates those experiences in all five boroughs. We hope to see you there next year!
Bryant Park
Sixth Avenue between West 41st Street and West 42nd Street. Bryant Park outdoor library. New York Public Library
Bryant Park offers a myriad of free summer outdoor experiences including, hour-long performances by the NYC Opera, Broadway rehearsals, the Emerging Music Festival, and Accordions Around the World. Click here to watch Mean Girls at Broadway in Bryant Park.
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Delacorte Theater
Manhattan: Central Park - Delacorte Theater. Shakespeare performance in Central #31352
The Delacorte Theater’s free annual productions of Shakespeare in the Park provide some of the most magical midsummer nights in New York City. The theater has drawn more than 5 million visitors since its first production in 1962. Past casts have included Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Denzel Washington. Click here to watch the Public Theater's Hercules sing "Go The Distance."
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Nolan Park
Garden party, Governors Island, ca. 1911.
Governor’s Island hosts free outdoor concerts with music ranging from classical to contemporary as part of their Rite of Summer program. Some past performances have included multimedia artist Pamela Z, the ensemble band Contemporaneous, and John Cage.
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Parade Ground, Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park, the Bronx, at the ballfields.
Van Cortlandt Park is one of the wonderful outdoor spaces where The New York Philharmonic brings free classical music concerts, ranging from the operatic works of Rossini to the funky, quintessentially American pieces of Copland.
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Forest Park
Located off Forest Park Drive inside Forest Park, the George Seuffert Sr. Bandshell offers free outdoor concerts, with music as varied as Frankie Vallie and the Queens Symphony Orchestra. Interestingly, the bandshell was named after a local music teacher and concert violinist who established the Concordia Military Band in 1894.
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Prospect Park Bandshell
Loudspeaker
Launched in 1979, Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell was an early anchor in Prospect Park’s revitalization and became one of the City’s foremost summer attractions. More than 20,000 attendees from across the city enjoy these free concerts annually.
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Manhattan Beach
Brooklyn: the Oriental Hotel and boardwalk, Manhattan Beach, Coney Island, undated.
Down the street is Kingsborough Community College, located on the eastern tip of Coney Island. Kingsborough hosts a free outdoor concert series in July as part of its Hot Summer Nights Program, bringing world class performances of music to Brooklyn. A favorite performer has been the band Davina and the Vagabonds. Click here for a song that might brighten your day!
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Sailors' Snug Harbor, Music Hall
The church and music hall at Sailor’s Snug Harbor
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden hosts a series of free, family-friendly summer concerts that include games, treats, and dancing.
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