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FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN

A Night at BAM

Brooklyn's multi-arts center, home of the Next Wave festival, with the Howard Gilman Opera House, the Harvey Theater and BAM Rose Cinemas.

BAM's Peter Jay Sharp Building lit up at night on Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene
Courtesy of BAM

More photos

  • The gilded tiers and ceiling of the Howard Gilman Opera House at BAM
    Photo: Elliot Kaufman, courtesy of BAM
  • An audience gathering under the glass canopy of the Opera House entrance on an evening at BAM
    Courtesy of BAM
  • Bilal performing to a packed crowd in The Adam Space at BAM, under its lit proscenium arch
    Photo: Edwina Hay, courtesy of BAM
  • BAM's Peter Jay Sharp Building on Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene
    Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene is the borough's great multi-arts center, with progressive theater, dance, music, opera and film across several venues, including the Howard Gilman Opera House and the BAM Rose Cinemas. Its Next Wave festival each fall has introduced generations of New Yorkers to avant-garde work. Fall 2026 includes a 50th-anniversary concert performance of Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach by the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Buy tickets on BAM's website; members get early access for big Next Wave events. If a full production is too much commitment, the BAM Rose Cinemas show first-run and repertory films nightly and are an easy way to use the building. Arrive early for a drink at the BAMcafé when it is open. Fort Greene's restaurants on DeKalb and Fulton are a short walk, and most subway lines meet at Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center.

Eat & drink nearby

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Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 19, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.