Summer means outdoor concerts, movies, live shows, and more. And while you’ll be saving for your upcoming beach trips, there’s no reason to not see your faves on stage, Here are our favorite summer concert series for free!
TODAY Concert Series
MIDTOWN
May-September
Rockefeller Center
See some of today’s biggest names in music before you head into work by checking out The Today Show’s morning concert series. The folks behind the concert series recommend arriving by 5 a.m. at the latest for a chance to score a sweet viewing spot.
The lineup: New Kids on the Block (5/15), Zac Brown Band (5/16), Mary J. Blige (5/19),Miley Cyrus (5/26), Shania Twain (6/16), Ed Sheeran (7/6), Flo Rida (7/7), Brad Paisley (8/4), Hailee Steinfeld (8/18)
Full lineup HERE.
Good Morning America Summer Concert Series
MIDTOWN
May-August, Fridays
Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
Good Morning America throws their own in the summer at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park every Friday morning. Attendees should use the 72nd Street entrance on Fifth Avenue, and doors open to the public at 6 a.m. (when the park opens). Concerts go from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m
The lineup: Green Day (5/19), Florida Georgia Line & Nelly (5/26), Fifth Harmony (6/2), The Lumineers (6/16), Big Sean (7/7), Lady Antebellum (7/14), Eric Church (8/18), Paramore (8/25)
Full lineup HERE.
Central Park SummerStage
VARIOUS
June-September
Various
With the exception of a handful of ticketed events, the majority of the shows in this series are free! SummerStage always includes artists across all genres, with big names spanning the best in music, dance, Broadway, comedy, poetry, and more.
The lineup: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic / Main Source / Chloe x Halle / DJ Marley Marl hosted by Roxanne Shante (6/11), KRS-One / DJ Chuck Chillout (6/25), Ginuwine / Boogie Blind (6/30), Just Sole! Street Dance Theater Company (7/5), UCB All Stars feat. Sasheer Zamata (7/10), Yo La Tengo / Ultimate Painting (7/17), GZA (7/23), Jadakiss (8/6), Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Staceyann Chin / Ntozake Shange / Sarah Kay (8/9)
Full lineup HERE.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
PARK SLOPE
June 7-August 12
Prospect Park Bandshell
This popular outdoor summer series at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park has been running for nearly 40 years and entertains roughly 250,000 people throughout evenings in the summer.
The lineup: Lake Street Dive (6/7), Alice Smith / Bilal / Kris Bowers (6/10), Lisa Loeb with The Knights (6/17), Yeasayer / Poliça / Cymbals Eat Guitars (6/22), Robert Randolph & the Family Band / Eric Krasno (7/13), Andrew Bird / Esperanza Spalding (7/28), Béla Fleck & the Flecktones / Nellie McKay (8/3)
Full lineup HERE.
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
UPPER WEST SIDE
July-August
Lincoln Center Plazas
Lincoln Center Out of Doors will deliver free evening performances from some of the world’s best music, dance, and spoken word artists over three jam-packed weeks across its many onsite plazas.
No lineup has been released yet, but given last year’s performers like M. Ward and Patti Smith, you know it’s gonna be good. Keep an eye out for infos here.
