On Thursday, May 7 at 10 a.m., at Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City, Queensboro Dance Festival (QDF) kicked off its 2026 season with 20 Queens-based dance companies performing back-to-back against the Manhattan skyline, a rapid-fire burst of color, movement and cultural diversity that is, in many ways, the real story of the World Cup summer arriving in New York.
This year’s season carries a few storylines worth noting. New this summer, QDF is producing three large-scale World Cup Watch Party events pairing live match viewing with dance and cultural programming inspired by the communities competing on the field — a natural tie-in as New York becomes the center of the soccer world. With AAPI Heritage Month underway, this year’s tour also features a strong presence of Asian and Pacific Islander traditions, including Indigenous Filipino companies Kinding Sindaw and Cordillera Cultural Ensemble, Classical Indian Kathak artist Neela Zareen, and Hawaiian hula company Nā Pua Mai Ka Lani Nūioka.
The season spans nearly 40 free outdoor performances across 12 Queens neighborhoods. At a moment when arts organizations and independent artists continue to face significant financial headwinds, QDF remains one of the few borough-wide organizations consistently providing paid performance opportunities to Queens-based dance artists.
For the full schedule, visit queensborodancefestival.org
On Thursday, May 7 at 10 a.m., at Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City, Queensboro Dance Festival (QDF) kicked off its 2026 season