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| Improvement Movement, photographed above at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 8, will perform at the Elsewhere Rooftop on October 1 |
Summer is officially half over, which means cooler days and evenings are upon us. There is still time to enjoy the best of a New York City summer by listening to great live music under the sun or stars!
Here is a guide to some of the best outdoor concert sites in New York City. Many of the upcoming concerts are free and require no tickets or reservations. Click on the venue names and explore their websites for more information.
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| Kaleo headlined at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on August 7 |
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| Darren Kiely at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on August 7 |
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! (Prospect Park)
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2026 explores the interconnectedness of global music, presenting the vibrant tapestry of artists whose work resonates from around the world and within its own borough. The majority of the concerts are held at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, and many are free admission. Upcoming highlights include Jadakiss, Yola, Liz Phair and Sleeter-Kinney.
TSQ LIVE hosts free, open-air events across two stages in Times Square. Upcoming highlights include Jason Green, and Gabriel Aldort.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances
Located in midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America, is a free outdoor festival that welcomes New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The collaboration are with an array of New York's cultural institutions. Upcoming highlights include the New York Guitar Festival, the Choir Festival, the Emerging Music Festival, the Accordion Festival and the Brass Festival.
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| Houndmouth at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on August 8 (photograph by Kevin Keane) |
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| Rayland Baxter at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on August 8 (photograph by Kevin Keane) |
This Bushwick venue has several performance spaces under one roof, and also one on its rooftop! Upcoming highlights include Bodega, Native Sun, Nuovo Testamento, Wiki and Improvement Movement.
Forest Hills Stadium has hosted live music in Queens for over 100 years. The 13,000-capacity stadium has no obstructed views. Upcoming highlights include Zeds Dead, Jon Batiste, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the Zac Brown Band, Empire of the Sun, Rauw Alejandro, Hayley Williams, Erykah Badu, David Byrne, Turnstile, All Things Go, Dermot Kennedy, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Geese, Foster the People and Fisher.
Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park hosts several free concerts series at various areas along the Hudson River. The Blues BBQ Festival will return to Pier 76 near West 34th Street on August 15. Boardwalk Blues will be at Pier 97 between West 55th and 59th Streets. Broadway by the Boardwalk takes place at Clinton Cove. Jazz at Pier 84 is near West 44nd Street. Little Island near West 14th Street will host performances by Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kevin Aviance and Louis Cato.
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| Loose Buttons at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 8 |
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| ISTA at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 8 |
Jazzmobile (Grant's Tomb and Marcus Garvey Park)
The Harlem-based jazz organization begins its season of free outdoor concerts to the steps of the General Grant National Memorial on Riverside Drive and West 122nd Street and the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. The schedule of free jazz concerts continues weekly at both locations throughout the summer.
Located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, this bar has an outdoor space for free live music. Upcoming highlights include Les Sans Culottes, Live Skull and the Silos.
A free concert series in Pershing Square Plaza West (Park Avenue between 41st and 42nd Street) will continue through the end of September, with lunchtime concerts on Tuesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. and happy hour concerts on Wednesdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m., plus a few select Saturday performances. Local entertainers Bobby Harden and Moses Patrou are among the recurring performers.
Located between the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Randall's Island will host three festivals. Zedd in the Park on August 14–15 will feature Zedd, DJ Snake, Knock2, Porter Robinson, Madeon, and Louis the Child. The Experts Only Festival, curated by John Summit on September 19–20, will be a house and dance music festival.
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| Dogpark at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 9 |
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| The Booyah! Kids at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 9 |
A burger shack, bar and live music venue on the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach will host free shows by Alex Orange Drink, ISTA, Prison and others.
Live music events this summer will include performances by the Record Company, Donavon Frankenreiter, the 502s and Ripe.
The Rooftop at Pier 17 at Manhattan’s South Street Seaport provides views of the financial district’s skyline, downtown Brooklyn’s riverfront, and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. Upcoming highlights include Koe Wetzel, Yacht Rock Revue, Max McNown, Acidbath, Galantis, Sam Barber, Jeff Rosenstock, Gov’t Mule, Ziggy Marley, LP, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Dylan Gossett, Rise Against, Chief Keef, Knocked Loose and Modest Mouse.
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| Shilpa Ray at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 9 |
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| Alex Orange Drink at the Show Brain Festival at Tompkins Square Park on August 9 |
The 2026 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage returns with more than 60 shows in 13 parks across all five boroughs of New York City. The higher profile concerts often take place in Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Upcoming highlights include Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, Chance the Rapper, Simple Plan, 3OH3!, Bowling for Soup, Angelique Kidjo, Cimafunk, Myles Smith, the Marcus King Band, Young Thug, Danny Elfman, Yeat, Of Monsters and Men, and Charley Crockett.
Located in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the Sultan Room adds the roof to its entertainment schedule during the summers. Upcoming highlights include Dallas Wax, Janna Jamison, Milk & Bone, and Raw Honey.
All ages and free, Tompkins Square Park will host concerts this summer headlined by Ravi Coltrane and Sid Simons, among others.
Under the K Bridge Park transforms a once-overlooked industrial site beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge into a dynamic, seven-acre public space along Newtown Creek in Queens. The live music is usually a rave, with upcoming highlights including Levity, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Gryffin. Tove Lo also performs in late summer, and the CBGB Festival will host Morrissey, Patti Smith, Interpol, Sex Pistols and many other acts.
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| Mary Shelley at the Show Brain Festival in Tompkins Square Park on August 9 |
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| Yuval "Yuvi" Amihai (right) at the C and B Cafe on August 9 |
Related Article:
Summer in New York City: Live Music Alfresco
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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.
For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."
For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's August calendar.
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