{"id":199356,"date":"2026-04-16T14:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/199356\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:22:11","slug":"new-yorks-bryant-park-unveils-2026-free-summer-concert-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/199356\/","title":{"rendered":"New York’s Bryant Park Unveils 2026 Free Summer Concert Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tNew York\u2019s Bryant Park<\/a> has announced the 2026 schedule for its summer Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America \u2014 a free outdoor performing arts festival in the heart of Midtown. The festival returns May 28 and includes an American opera showcase with New York City Opera, a special concert for America\u2019s birthday with Carnegie Hall, first-ever Brass and Choir Festivals, as well as performances by artists from around the globe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIn total, 24 performances will span music, dance, opera, circus, and more, culminating in a special anniversary tribute concert on September 11. With more than 87,000 in-person attendees and over 440,000 livestream views in past seasons, Picnic Performances remains a New York City summer tradition.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBryant Park<\/a> Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a gateway to the city\u2019s vibrant cultural scene,\u201d says Bryant Park\u2019s Dan Biederman. \u201cMany visitors arrive having never seen professional opera singers, ballet, or a circus before. We are excited to continue providing these experiences free of charge so that everyone has the opportunity to experience New York\u2019s world-class artistry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond the park, the reach extends even further through 14 free multi-camera livestreams and a series of PBS television episodes.<\/p>\n

\n\tFree bistro chairs and picnic blankets are available for visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. Local vendors curated by Hester Street Fair will have an array of delicious food options to be enjoyed during the performances. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to create a perfect picnic experience under the city skyline.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor a full schedule and more information on the series is below, and at bryantpark.org.\u00a0 Additional media support is provided by public radio stations WQXR and WBGO.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPicnic Performances showcases extraordinary talent while creating a vibrant, welcoming space where the community can come together to experience live music, dance, and more for free,\u201d said Connie Verducci, market executive, Bank of America New York City. \u201cWe look forward to another New York City summer partnership with Bryant Park, a jewel in the heart of Manhattan, that celebrates the best of our city\u2019s arts and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 2026 summer lineup full list here:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tJAZZMOBILE\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, May 28 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | Wycliffe Gordon and Friends<\/p>\n

\n\tJazzmobile, a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to bringing jazz to the public, opens the Picnic Performances season with acclaimed trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Known for his virtuosic technique and deep roots in traditional jazz, Gordon leads an electrifying set alongside his ensemble.<\/p>\n

\n\tNEW YORK CITY OPERA<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, May 29 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | American Classics Friday, August 7 at 7 PM \u2013 8:15 PM | Celebration of Ella Fitzgerald with Latonia Moore<\/p>\n

\n\tNew York City Opera celebrates the best of American opera and musical theater featuring selections performed by renowned vocalists and instrumentalists.<\/p>\n

\n\tCity Opera returns in August with a special performance by three-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Latonia Moore, celebrating the timeless music of \u201cThe First Lady of Song\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n\tCONTEMPORARY DANCE<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, June 4 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | Carolyn Dorfman, Terk Lewis, White Wave Dance Friday, June 5 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | Ballet for the Wild with vildwerk.<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, June 11 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | It\u2019s Showtime NYC, SOLE Defined, Robin Dunn Contemporary Dance, curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, kicks off with an evening of modern dance, headlined by Carolyn Dorfman Dance. The evening also includes innovative artists Terk Lewis and White Wave Dance.<\/p>\n

\n\tBallet takes center stage on June 5, as a collective of artists \u2013 including Buglisi Dance Theatre, New York City Ballet soloist Victor Abrue, Joffrey Concert Group, and more \u2013 perform works inspired by the natural world.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe series concludes with a high-energy celebration of percussive and hip hop dance, featuring It\u2019s Showtime NYC, SOLE Defined, and Robin Dunn.<\/p>\n

\n\tWORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, June 12 at 7 PM \u2013 9 PM | Pedrito Martinez, Cyro Baptista, Kaoru Watanabe, Suphala, Sunny Jain, Glen Velez, Batal\u00e1, and Adam Rudolph\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tCelebrating its 40th anniversary season, World Music Institute reimagines its legacy series,<\/p>\n

\n\tWorld of Percussion, for the Bryant Park stage. Since 1989, the series has hosted global percussion luminaries including Zakir Hussain, Don Cherry, Shankar, and Foday Musa Suso. On<\/p>\n

\n\tJune 12, master musicians explore the intricate rhythms of Indian tabla, the thunderous power of Japanese taiko, and the dynamic energy of an all-women Brazilian percussion ensemble.<\/p>\n

\n\tJOE\u2019S PUB\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, June 18 at 7 PM \u2013 9 PM | Joan As Police Woman, Britton & The Sting<\/p>\n

\n\tCelebrate Pride Month with a dynamic double-bill of groundbreaking artists. Joan As Police<\/p>\n

\n\tWoman (Joan Wasser) is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who defies easy categorization. Her collaborative spirit has led her to work with Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Anohni & The Johnsons, Tony Allen, Meshell Ndegeocello, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, David Byrne, and many other notable musicians around the world.<\/p>\n

\n\tBritton & The Sting is a funk liberation band led by Tony Award-winning artist-activist Britton<\/p>\n

\n\tSmith, creating music that celebrates radical authenticity and collective joy. The band is composed of world-class musicians\u2014each a star in their own right\u2014who perform with major artists across the country.<\/p>\n

\n\tTHE UNSUNG COLLECTIVE<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, June 19 at 7 PM \u2013 8:15 PM | Starburst<\/p>\n

\n\tHarlem-based chamber orchestra The Unsung Collective marks Juneteenth with works by contemporary black composers, Jessie Montgomery and H. Leslie Adams.<\/p>\n

\n\tCARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, July 3 at 7 PM \u2013 8:15 PM | The Knights Friday, July 10 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM |Aisha Jackson\u00a0 Friday, July 17 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas Friday, July 24 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | NYC Ska Orchestra Friday, July 31 at 7 PM \u2013 8:30 PM | El Laberinto del Coco<\/p>\n

\n\tCelebrate America\u2019s birthday with a performance by the intrepid chamber orchestra The<\/p>\n

\n\tKnights\u2014a self-described \u201cfellowship of adventurous musicians\u201d with a fervent following at<\/p>\n

\n\tCarnegie Hall and across New York City. Led by Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen, they bring a program that fuses classical music with numerous American influences in true \u201cKnightsian\u201d fashion.<\/p>\n

\n\tCatch a free outdoor concert by Broadway favorite Aisha Jackson, whose recent career highlights include her acclaimed performance as Daisy in The Great Gatsby and her<\/p>\n

\n\tperformance opposite Anika Noni Rose in Wonderful Town. After making history as the first<\/p>\n

\n\tBlack woman to play Anna on Broadway in Frozen, Jackson brought the joy of Anna and other Disney princesses to audiences worldwide in Disney Princess: The Concert.<\/p>\n

\n\tExperience zydeco, the fast and furious, accordion-driven Creole dance music of South Louisiana. With its trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars, and R&B influences, this is an exciting and modern roots music that\u2019s nearly impossible to resist\u2014and from festival stages to Louisiana dance halls, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas has been one of the most celebrated zydeco bands of the past 40 years.<\/p>\n

\n\tTake in the joy of a live performance by the NYC Ska Orchestra, which blends big-band jazz, soul, and R&B with the iconic Jamaican music styles of ska, mento, rock steady, reggae, and more.<\/p>\n

\n\tLed by celebrated trumpeter, singer, arranger, and educator Kevin Batchelor, this 20-piece big band also features legendary Jamaican percussionist-vocalist Larry MacDonald and Jamaican<\/p>\n

\n\tmaster drummer Carl Wright, who together have worked with Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Lee \u201cScratch\u201d Perry, the Skatalites, Toots and the Maytals, and many others.<\/p>\n

\n\tEnjoy a concert by Afro\u2013Puerto Rican bomba fusion innovators El Laberinto del Coco, led by master percussionist Hector \u201cCoco\u201d Barez. Blending jazz, funk, reggae, and numerous Latin influences with traditional bomba elements and instruments such as the barril and cu\u00e1, the band expands the boundaries of bomba while staying true to its intoxicating essence.<\/p>\n

\n\tExperience a high-energy sonic tapestry that has attracted fans around the world.<\/p>\n

\n\tNEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, August 14 at 7 PM \u2013 9:30 PM | Rapha\u00ebl Feuill\u00e2tre, Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque, Ziggy & Miles, Gabrielle Leite<\/p>\n

\n\tSaturday, August 15 at 7 PM \u2013 9:15 PM | The Messthetics, Gyan Riley, Pierre Bensusan<\/p>\n

\n\tHosted by WNYC\u2019s John Schaefer, this two-day celebration highlights global guitar culture, especially here in the States.\u00a0 The first evening, \u201cA Carnival Of Classical Guitar,\u201d\u00a0 sees virtuoso<\/p>\n

\n\tCroatian-born guitarist Goran Ivanonic and Pakistani-Chilean guitarist Fareed Haque come in from Chicago, while Brazilian guitarist Gabrielle Leite is now based in New York.\u00a0 The following<\/p>\n

\n\tnight brings \u201cThe Misbehaving Guitar\u201d:\u00a0 Gyan Riley, currently touring with Paul Simon, and the<\/p>\n

\n\tpunk-jazz sounds of The Messthetics hint at the extraordinary range of guitar music in America at 250.\u00a0 But the festival also embraces a whole world of guitar playing, with musicians from North Africa, South Asia, and Australia.\u00a0 Whatever you think the guitar sounds like, prepared to be surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tCHOIR FESTIVAL<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, August 21 at 7PM | Artists To Be Announced<\/p>\n

\n\tBryant Park hosts its first-ever Choir Festival, highlighting the vocal ensembles of NYC and communal song.<\/p>\n

\n\tEMERGING MUSIC FESTIVAL<\/p>\n

\n\tSaturday, August 22 at 6PM | Artists To Be Announced<\/p>\n

\n\tThe park\u2019s annual celebration of rising indie, rock, folk, soul, and pop bands returns, curated by AdHoc.<\/p>\n

\n\tACCORDION FESTIVAL<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, August 28 at 7 PM \u2013 10 PM | Jourdan Thibodeaux et les R\u00f4dailleurs, Saami Brothers, and Chicha Libre<\/p>\n

\n\tThe annual festival, curated by Ariana Hellerman, returns with leading Cajun musician and key figure in the ongoing renaissance of Louisiana French culture, Jourdan Thibodeaux, renowned Pakistani group Saami Brothers who are keepers of a nearly 800-year-old musical legacy of Khayal and Qawwali, and Brooklyn torchbearers of 1970s psychedelic chicha, Chicha Libre.<\/p>\n

\n\tPARALLEL EXIT<\/p>\n

\n\tSaturday, August 29 at 5 PM \u2013 6 PM | Sunset Circus<\/p>\n

\n\tEnjoy an hour-long theatrical circus experience for families from NYC\u2019s Parallel Exit, featuring performers from Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and more.<\/p>\n

\n\tASIAN AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, September 3 at 7 PM | Grace Kelly, Ashni<\/p>\n

\n\tRising star saxophonist, singer, and composer Grace Kelly\u2014known for her work as a band member on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u2014brings her signature blend of electro-pop and jazz to the Bryant Park stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAshni is a singer, songwriter, and pianist. Weaving jazz, R&B, and pop, with a thread of the North Indian folk music she grew up with, she explores our relationship to self, our communities, and our natural world.<\/p>\n

\n\tBRASS FESTIVAL<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, September 4 at 7 PM \u2013 9:30 PM | New Breed Brass Band, Aberdeen, Brass Queens<\/p>\n

\n\tBryant Park\u2019s first festival dedicated to all things brass, headlined by two-time Grammy nominees, the New Orleans-based New Breed Brass Band.<\/p>\n

\n\tDANCE PARTY ALL-STARS<\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, September 10 at 7 PM \u2013 9 PM | Alfredo De La F\u00e9 All Star Band, George Gee Swing Orchestra<\/p>\n

\n\tPicnic Performances showcases two extraordinary bands who have performed as part of Bryant<\/p>\n

\n\tPark Dance Party. Curated by Talia Castro-Pozo, the event begins with salsa and swing dance lessons on the Upper Terrace at 6pm. Then, at 7pm, dance along to music from two high-energy bands.<\/p>\n

\n\tRenowned salsa and latin jazz violinist Alfredo De La F\u00e9 brings his band, which blends traditional classical techniques with Afro-Cuban and Caribbean rhythms. This concert marks the 60-year anniversary of De La F\u00e9\u2019s professional career, which has included collaborations with Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and other salsa icons.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe George Gee Swing Orchestra has been at the forefront of the modern swing resurgence for over four decades. Lindy Hoppers around the country and the world are captivated by Gee\u2019s high-energy shows.<\/p>\n

\n\tTRIBUTE TO THE 25th ANNIVERSARY of SEPTEMBER 11, 2021<\/p>\n

\n\tFriday, September 11 at 7 PM \u2013 8:15 PM<\/p>\n

\n\tCommemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11 with a moving program of classical music and reflections. Artists TBA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New York\u2019s Bryant Park has announced the 2026 schedule for its summer Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199357,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3759,9,11,10],"class_list":{"0":"post-199356","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-bryant-park","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-new-york-headlines","11":"tag-new-york-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}