A Free Concert at SummerStage

SummerStage is the city's great outdoor stage, and most of its shows are free. City Parks Foundation's festival began at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park and celebrated its 40th season in 2026, with more than 60 shows in 13 parks across the five boroughs. In four decades it has brought thousands of free performances by artists from around the world, from jazz and Latin music to hip-hop, dance and global pop, to more than seven million people, many of them in neighborhood parks far from Midtown.

For the free shows, arrive early when a big name is playing. A handful of benefit concerts each season are ticketed, and members get early access and complimentary benefit tickets. The 2027 calendar is already taking shape: the first listing is a May 29, 2027, show in Central Park. Bring a blanket for the lawn at the borough shows, and look past Central Park; the neighborhood-park nights are often the most fun.