Summer Fun with Outdoor Concerts – and Many Are Free!

Coldplay surprised soccer fans during the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup™ Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium on July 13, performing with Emmanuel Kelly, J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems (photograph by Getty Images) 

Outdoor concerts are a summer fun tradition. Numerous local open-air stages host a wide assortment of touring artists. Many of the concerts are free to the public. Here is a guide to some of the larger live music events in the New York City area.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! (https://bricartsmedia.org/celebrate-brooklyn/)

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2025 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. Upcoming highlights include Men I Trust, Mireya Ramos, Gogol Bordello, and Nick Hakim.

Still Woozy at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park on July 12

Kate Bollinger at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park on July 12

Bryant Park Picnic Performances (https://bryantpark.org/activities/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. This summer, enjoy extraordinary artists and events in collaboration with a wide array of New York's cultural institutions. Upcoming highlights include La Excelencia, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and the New York City Opera.

Forest Hills Stadium (https://www.foresthillsstadium.com/calendar/)

Forest Hills Stadium is a historic outdoor venue that has welcomed music fans to Queens for over 100 years. Designed to optimize acoustics and with no obstructed views, the 13,000-capacity stadium is the only outdoor venue of its kind and size in the city. Upcoming highlights include Phish, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Mumford & Sons, the Black Keys and Jon Bellion.

The Great South Bay Music Festival (www.greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com)

Long island’s largest four-day family music and art festival returns, celebrating its 17th anniversary, at Shorefront Park in Patchogue Village. The 2025 headliners include Taking Back Sunday, Men at Work, Damian “Jr. Gong” & Stephen Marley, Ambrosia, Moe., Umphrey’s Mcgee, Naked Eyes, and Say Anything.

Horizon Sounds of the City (https://www.njpac.org/series/horizon-sounds-of-the-city/)

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) hosts a free summer concert series at Chambers Plaza in Newark. Upcoming highlights include Lyfe Jennings, DJ Tunez, Cimafunk, and MC Lyte.

Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City (https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city)

Lincoln Center's fourth annual Summer for the City offers hundreds of free and choose-what-you-pay performances and cultural activities, many of which are held in the adjacent Damrosch Park or the plaza at Lincoln Center. Upcoming highlights include Os Mutantes, Rashid, Liniker, and globalFEST.

Lenine at Damrosch Park on July 16

MetLife Stadium (https://www.metlifestadium.com/events/)

Home to many sporting events, MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Upcoming highlights include Luke Bryan, My Chemical Romance, Jonas Brothers, Chris Brown, System of a Down, and Oasis.

Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (https://www.northwellatjonesbeachtheater.com/shows)

Located in Wantagh, Long Island, these concerts have the Atlantic Ocean and its high-flying livestock as the background. Upcoming highlights include Cyndi Lauper, Pantera, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Who and Twenty One Pilots.

Creed at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater on July 15

Daughtry at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater on July 15

Mammoth WVH at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater on July 15

River & Blues (https://bpca.ny.gov/news/events/special-events/river-and-blues/)

The River & Blues Concert Series features global and American folk, roots and blues music at Rockefeller Park and Wagner Park by the waterside of Manhattan's financial district. All shows are free to the public. Upcoming shows will feature Amythyst Kiah, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra led by Arturo O’Farrill, and Lady Blackbird.

Maggie Rose at Rockefeller Park on July 10

DJ Blessed at Rockefeller Park on July 10

The Rooftop at Pier 17 (https://rooftopatpier17.com/)

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 Andy Grammer, Primus, Drive-By Truckers and Pink Martini.

Michael Franti & Spearhead at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on July 11

Cimafunk at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on July 11

SummerStage (https://cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/)

The 2025 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage returns with more than 70 shows in 13 parks across all five boroughs of New York City. The higher profile shows usually take place in Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Upcoming highlights include the Roots, the Saw Doctors, the Head and the Heart, and Jacob Collier.

Chris Tomlin at Summerstage Central Park on July 11 (photograph by Jamie MacDonald for City Parks Foundation)

Big Freedia at SummerStage at Herbert Von King Park on July 10 (photograph by Sean Jamar for City Parks Foundation)

Times Square (https://www.timessquarenyc.org/things-to-do/tsq-live)

TSQ LIVE invites hundreds of artists, performers and cultural producers to share their work in one of the world’s most iconic public places, with free, open-air events across two stages in Times Square. Upcoming highlights include Gideon King & City Blog, Augie Bello, Solomon Hicks, and You Bred Raptors?

The Wells Fargo Stage at Hudson Yards (https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/summer-concerts-wells-fargo-stage)

Located in the public square of Hudson Yard in Manhattan, all concerts are free to the public. Upcoming highlights include Alex Sampson, Brittney Spencer, mxmtoon, and Grace Vanderwaal.

***

The Manhattan Beat reports on 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 The Manhattan Beat 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 July calendar.