Here are all the free concerts you can catch at Bryant Park this summer

One of the best perks of living in New York City is having access to innumerable free events in our gorgeous parks. That’s why when Bryant Park Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America announces its line-up, we get excited!

Today, Picnic Performances released a list of 25 live music, dance, and theater events that’ll occur May 31 to September 13, and it includes The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Louis Cato; trumpeter Steven Bernstein playing the music of James Bond with Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra; the NYC premiere of Ghanaian highlife band Gyedu-Bly Ambolley; Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE dance company; South African world pop star Thandiswa Mazwai and many more!

“The 2024 season of Picnic Performances is our most ambitious yet,” Dan Fishman, Bryant Park’s vice president of public programming, tells Time Out New York. “Bryant Park will host internationally renowned dance companies, Grammy-winning musicians, a fully staged production of Tosca, a centennial celebration for jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan, and a grand finale featuring an all-star lineup of musicians performing the music of James Bond. 

“This year we present our first performance curated specifically for kids, a bilingual celebration of Broadway show tunes, the New York City debut of a Ghanaian music legend, and a concert that honors the incredible composer, Tania León. We are thrilled to bring such exciting free music, theater, and dance events to the center of New York City, and we cannot wait to see you on the lawn.”

As usual, there are no tickets required (it’s free) and there will be more than 700 picnic blankets for audience members to borrow and chairs available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Below is the current rundown for Picnic Performances’ 2024 summer season:

May

31: New York City Opera – Puccini Celebration

June

1: New York City Opera – Puccini Celebration
6: Contemporary Dance – Sidra Bell and Ballet Tech
7: Contemporary Dance – David Dorfman Dance, Soles of Duende, Joffrey Concert Group and National Dance Institute
14: Contemporary Dance – Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Robin Dunn, Kevin Wynn Tribute, Brooklyn Arts
21: Jazzmobile – Sarah Vaughan Centennial Featuring Charenée Wade
28: Emerging Music Festival Day 1 – Up-and-coming bands curated by AdHoc
29: Emerging Music Festival Day 2 – Up-and-coming bands curated by AdHoc

July

5: Carnegie Hall Citywide – The Harlem Chamber Players with Tania León
12: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Thandiswa Mazwai
19: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Louis Cato
26: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Michael Olatuja and Lagos Pepper Soup

August

2: Carnegie Hall Citywide – La Excelencia
9: Joe’s Pub – Broadway en Spanglish: Florencia Cuenca and Jaime Lozano
10: New Victory Dance – Ephrat Asherie Dance + Barkin/Selissen Project
16: World Music Institute – Gyedu-Blay Ambolley
17: Jalopy Theatre – Artists TBA
23: New York City Opera – Tosca
24: New York City Opera – Tosca
30: Asian American Arts Alliance – Vijay Iyer Trio
31: Mark Morris Dance Group, Blacks in Ballet, Reed Luplau

September

5: Accordions Around the World – Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Afro Dominicano
6: American Symphony Orchestra – Beyond the Hall
12: Harlem Stage – Artists TBA
13: The Town Hall – Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra play the Music of James Bond: The Man with The Golden Horn with special guests Steven Bernstein and more

All shows begin at 7pm except on June 29 and August 10, which begin at 5pm

Sixteen shows will be livestreamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website in case you can’t get there in person.

And as always, there will be local vendors near the lawn at these events, including Stout NYC’s light bites and beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. There will also be a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors from Hester Street Fair.