Phil Collins<\/a> and traces its roots to a tongue-in-cheek \u201canti-Valentine\u2019s Day\u201d gathering in Greenpoint. Organizers told Brooklyn Paper the event has grown steadily since its revival in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cThe whole idea of Phil Collins day started as an anti-Valentine\u2019s Day event where folkkswere just fed up with the sharing of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, stuffed animals, bouquets and cards,\u201d organizer Dave Landesberg said. \u201cAnd in that moment [organizers] thought, \u2018who embodies that spirit?\u2019 They then came upon [Collins] because he covers both heartbreak and love in his music.\u201d<\/p>\n
Landesberg said that when he took over in 2019 with his partner, Megan Scanlon, only 80 people attended. This year\u2019s event drew nearly 130 attendees from across the country \u2014 including Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Florida and Nevada \u2014 as well as international visitors from Brussels and Christchurch, New Zealand. One fan told Landsberg she traveled to Brooklyn specifically for Phil Collins Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was floored,\u201d he said.
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Landesberg shows attendees Phil Collins\u2019 records at Berry Park.Photo by Erica Price\n<\/p>\n
Programming included a vinyl-only DJ set featuring Collins\u2019 solo work and songs from Genesis by Sheila Burgel, themed art displayed in a gallery dubbed \u201cPhilustrations\u201d and an air-drumming contest timed to the drum solo from \u201cIn the Air Tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event has also become increasingly multigenerational, Landesberg said.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a little older than the average age of the folks who attend,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s really great to see so many different people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
For the first time in event history, organizers charged a $20 admission fee, contributing to what Landenberg said was the most successful fundraising year to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe raised more money this year than any other year, no doubt,\u201d he said, through presale and walkup ticket sales, raffle proceeds and art sales.
\n![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/C013_0D6A7689_20260214_Erica-Price.jpg\")
DJ Sheila Burgel, a lifelong Collins fan, told Brooklyn Paper that playing for Phil Collins Day was a \u201cdream gig.\u201dPhoto by Erica Price\n<\/p>\n
Despite its growth, Landesberg said he remains mindful of the event\u2019s grassroots origins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t say it\u2019s taken on a life of its own. It wouldn\u2019t be that bold,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I know these folks look forward to it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Supporting music in public schools\u00a0<\/p>\n
Education Through Music, this year\u2019s beneficiary, partners with Title I schools across the five boroughs to build sustainable music programs by placing certified teachers directly into schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been in New York City for 34 years,\u201d Tara DeWorsop, the organization\u2019s senior director of development, said. \u201cWe work with 51 schools across the city, teaching over 18,000 students every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike short-term arts residencies, the nonprofit helps schools establish permanent music departments, funding a majority of a teacher\u2019s salary for the first two to three years while schools build their own budgets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/C011_0D6A7679_20260214_Erica-Price.jpg\")
Landesberg said Phil Collins Day has become sort of an \u201canti-Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d and Phil Collins was the perfect spokesperson for that.Photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually work with schools that otherwise couldn\u2019t afford music education, and we work with our principals. We help source the actual music teachers,\u201d DeWorsop added.<\/p>\n
DeWorsop cited Education Through Music CEO Dr. Janice Weinman\u2019s words: \u201cTalent is distributed evenly across all of the boroughs of New York City, but opportunity isn\u2019t.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
She said the statement guides the organization\u2019s mission and expressed enthusiasm that Phil Collins Day could help support its efforts.\n<\/p>\n
Hosted by a \u2018Mom and Mom shop\u2019<\/p>\n
Berry Park in Greenpoint hosted the event for the second consecutive year.\n<\/p>\n
Jessie Marlee, who took over ownership of the bar in 2024 with her business partner after serving as general manager for more than a decade, said the event reflects their approach to community programming.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that really brings people together in this space to have fun and whatever that falls under, that kind of umbrella is something that we\u2019re jazzed to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/C019_0D6A7722_20260214_Erica-Price.jpg\")
Greenpoint\u2019s Berry Park hosted Phil Collins Day for the second year.Photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n
Marlee described Berry Park as a \u201cmom and mom shop,\u201d run by two Brooklyn mothers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for her own connection to Collins, she recalled a teenage memory.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad used to pick me up when my friends and blast the \u2018Tarzan\u2019 soundtrack to embarrass me when I was in high school,\u201d she said. \u201cWhich was successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phil Collins Day organizers plan to continue the February tradition while exploring the possibility of smaller gatherings throughout the year, as fans increasingly request more opportunities to connect outside Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
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![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/C031_0D6A7829_20260214_Erica-Price.jpg\")
Phil Collins Day has become a longstanding Brooklyn institution.Photo by Erica Price