NYC's best summer music festivals of 2024

May-October

The city’s most beloved free summer concert series is back with a stellar line-up featuring nearly 85 free and benefit shows in Central Park, plus neighborhood parks across the five boroughs.  

The 2024 SummerStage lineup includes T-Pain, Snail Mail, Madison Cunningham, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Metropolitan Opera, Counting Crows, Ghostface Killah, The Gaslight Anthem, Trixie Mattel and Amanda Lepore, and more.

This season is all about celebrating incredible music from around the world with artists like The Aussie BBQ, Colombian music star Fonseca and Spain’s captivating new flamenco singer Israel Fernández, Sidonie and the Balkan Paradise Orchestra.  

All shows are free except the benefit concerts. Here's the full schedule and ticket info.

May 4-October 26

A season of incredible shows is before us at Forest Hills Stadium for its 2024 season.

Expect a variety of genres on the stage, from EDM to rock to folk and lots more. Among the performers are Pitbull, Tiesto, Kings of Leon, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Avett Brothers, and The National with more to be announced.

Tickets are available through AXS; head to the Forest Hills Stadium website to make your purchase and find more information.

May 31-September 13

Bryant Park's Picnic Performances will bring the best of NYC to the stage, including the New York City Opera, Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Harlem Chamber Players, and the American Symphony Orchestra.

Best of all, all 25 performances are free and open to the public. Many performances will be livestreamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website in case you can’t make it in person.

The lineup 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.

May 4-October 12

The Rooftop at Pier 17 is planning a packed summer of musical performances with more than 60 outdoor shows. The panoramic views, the chill vibe, and the stellar acoustics make it a truly special spot to see a show. 

The sixth Summer Concert Series on The Rooftop at Pier 17 features more than 60 artists in genres from rap (Isaiah Rashad) to rock (Social Distortion) to electronic (Electric Callboy) and more. Plus, there are several bands on the roster that will make Millennials swoon with nostalgia (like Taking Back Sunday, Something Corporate, Two Door Cinema Club, and Mayday Parade). Get tickets here.  

June 8-August 24

You can set your watch by how reliably awesome the annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is. Unlike SummerStage, which spreads out across the five boroughs, all BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! shows, most of which are free, take place at the beautiful bandshell in Prospect Park. 

This year’s genre-crossing lineup includes performances by: trailblazing punk-ska vets Fishbone; four-time Grammy winner Meshell Ndegeocello; rising Afrobeat star Seun Kuti; reggae stars Lila Ike and Jesse Royal; Belgian dance sensations Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul; retro soul ensemble Thee Sacred Souls; and Sinkane. You'll also get to see a host of vital emerging acts like Ambar Lucid; Adi Oasis; Black Belt Eagle Scout; and Talibah Safiya.

June 28-29

If there's one Pride music festival you should be going to this June, it's LadyLand on June 28-29.

Every June since 2018, LadyLand has brought the most relevant artists in queer culture to Brooklyn, and this year's lineup is no exception: The two-day event is bringing headliners Tinashe, Arca and Tokischa, and other queer artists like Baby Tate, Bob the Drag Queen and Cakes da Killa. Basically, all your Internet faves.

It's the kind of lineup that can only be built out by producers who are keenly in touch with the culture: And Ladyfag, who curates the festival, is exactly that.

June 19-August 7

Hudson Yards puts on a great series of free events for everyone, every summer.

This summer series called “Backyard at Hudson Yards Presented by Wells Fargo” is curated by The Bowery Presents and returns May 3 with huge acts like Keke Palmer, David Archuleta, Brynn Cartelli, Chayce Beckham, Ray Bull, and more.

A complete schedule of Backyard at Hudson Yards presented by Wells Fargo programming and events can be found at the Backyard at Hudson Yards page.

May-September

TSQ Live offers a series of 80 free, open-air performances all over Times Square. It's basically, a giant, free outdoor event festival with programs presented by the likes of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Soul Summit and more. 

Expect dance workshops by Ailey Extension, weekly DJ sets, and a new series called Street Lab that will feature pop-up activations for entire families focusing on all things art. This year's full lineup can be found right here.

September 28-29

One glance at the inaugural lineup of the NYC edition of All Things Go Music Festival and you'll be H-O-T T-O G-O. Yes, Chappell Roan—who had this year's Gov Ball crowd in a tizzy with her viral Statue of Liberty get-up—will join equally iconic folks like Janelle Monáe, Reneé Rapp, MUNA, Ethel Cain and Julien Bakery as headliners of the outdoor music fest, which will take place over two days (September 28 and 29) at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Unlike at other festival experiences, All Things Go will only boast one single stage, meaning that you won't run into those annoying overlapping-sets moments where you have to choose one performer over another. And with a stellar bill that also includes Holly Humberstone, Del Water Gap, Maisie Peters, Soccer Mommy, Samia, Mannequin Pussy and more, you'll be glad you won't have to choose. Get tickets here.