SummerStage is an outdoor festival of the arts held each year at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Performances are mostly free, with the exception of a few big-name benefit concerts that help fund the SummerStage programming. Find this year's performance schedule and helpful SummerStage tips below.
2019 SummerStage Performance Schedule
Saturday, Jun 1: OPENING NIGHT | 6:00 PM DOORS / 6:30 PM SHOWTIME | Emily King / Durand Jones and the Indications (FREE SHOW)
Tuesday, Jun 4: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | One Nation Under A Groove - Farewell Tour 2019: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic / Galactic / Fishbone / Dumpstaphunk / Miss Velvet Presented by Sony Presents Blue Note Jazz Festival (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Jun 8: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Parquet Courts / Sachiko Kanenobu / ARP / Prince of Queens (DJ set) (FREE SHOW)
Monday, Jun 10: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series featuring Ying Fang, Ben Bliss, Nathan Gunn, and Dan Saunders (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jun 12: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | The New York Cantors with Special Guests Shulem and Frank London conducted by Zalmen Mlotek presented by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (FREE SHOW)
Thursday, Jun 13: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Big Freedia / Mike Q / BATEKOO / Hosted by Gina Yashere (FREE SHOW)
Saturday, Jun 15: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison Trio, Brandee Younger in association with Sony presents Blue Note Jazz Festival (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jun 19: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (FREE SHOW)
Thursday, Jun 20: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Khruangbin / Connan Mockasin and Kikagaku Moyo Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Jun 22: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM | THE AUSSIE BBQ: A.B. Original / Hermitude / San Cisco / The Teskey Brothers / Tkay Maidza / WAAX In Association With Sounds Australia, the Australian ConsulGeneral, NY and the Australia Council for the Arts (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Jun 23: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Fete de la Musique: Zdar from Cassius / Les Negresses Vertes (FREE SHOW)
Monday, Jun 24: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Japanese Breakfast/ House of Nod (DJ Set) (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jun 26: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Alvvays / The Courtneys / Ellis In association with the Consulate General of Canada (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Jun 30: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Buika / A-WA / Blick Bassy / DJ Tara (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Jul 7: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Efya / Blinky Bill / DJ Mohogany (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jul 10: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Ximena Sarinana / iLe / Nathy Peluso In Association with LAMC (FREE SHOW)
Saturday, Jul 13: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM | 20th Anniversary Latin GRAMMY's Celebration In association with LAMC (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Jul 14: 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM | Family Day: Railroad Earth / Ranky Tanky (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jul 17: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Merce Cunningham: SummerCool feat. Stephen Petronio Company / Melissa Toogood / Calvin Royal III / A-Y Dancers In Association with the Cunningham Centennial Celebrations with guest curation by Catherine Tharin (FREE SHOW)
Thursday, Jul 25: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Kurt Vile and the Violators / Dinosaur Jr. / Cate Le Bon Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Jul 27: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Alceu Valença / Cordel do Fogo Encantado / LaBaq / DJ Grace Kelly In association with Brasil Summerfest (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Jul 28: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Magic System / Smarty / Selma Uamusse / DJ Birane (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jul 31: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Youth Matinee (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Jul 31: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | FELA! (Kuti) The Concert (FREE SHOW)
Saturday, Aug 3: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Taiwanese Waves: One Fang / Tizzy Bac / A Bao / 9m88 at Central Park (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Aug 4: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Corinne Bailey Rae / Jose James / DJ Natasha Diggs from Soul in the Horn (FREE SHOW)
Thursday, Aug 8: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Guster / Rubblebucket Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Aug 10: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | VP Records 40th Anniversary: Elephant Man / Junior Reid / Estelle / Raging Fyah (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Aug 11: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Lila Downs / Lido Pimienta / DJ Ripley (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Aug 18: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Selena for Sanctuary: Cuco / Ambar Lucid / DJ Svani / Santuario House Band with Music Direction by Adrian Quesada (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Aug 21: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Carnival of the Animals (Work-inProgress excerpt) with Wendy Whelan and Marc Bamuthi Joseph / Film: Restless Creature (FREE SHOW)
Sunday, Aug 25: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | La India / Cimafunk / DJ Sonni / DJ Lucho (FREE SHOW)
Tuesday, Aug 27: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | The Originals: Stretch Armstrong / Clark Kent / D-Nice / Rich Media / Tony Touch (FREE SHOW)
Wednesday, Aug 28: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Wednesday, Sept 4: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Tash Sultana Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Sept 7: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Mitski / Lucy Dacus Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Saturday, Sept 14: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | The Growlers Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Monday, Sept 16: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | MARINA - Love + Fear Tour Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Friday, Sept 20: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Bloc Party performing Silent Alarm Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
Tuesday, Sept 24: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | The B-52s / OMD / Berlin Produced by The Bowery Presents (BENEFIT SHOW)
More dates and concerts may follow. Check back frequently.
Helpful Things to Know About SummerStage
LOCATION
Rumsey Playfield is located on East 72nd Street off Fifth Avenue. Map This Location
GETTING THERE
You can easily enter the park on 69th Street and 5th Avenue. The closest subway is the 6 train to 68th Street.
ADMISSION
Admission to performances that do not require tickets is on a first come, first-served basis.
TICKETS
Tickets to Benefit Concerts are available through CityParksFoundation.org or at the on-site box office, across from the VIP check-in table on East Drive. The box office is only open on show days. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
SEATING
Depending on the show, chairs may or may not be placed on the field, and bleacher seating may or may not be available. At dance shows in Central Park, first-come, first-served limited seating will be offered. There is also space to listen on the grass outside of the venue. Email SummerStage@CityParksFoundation.org for questions concerning specific shows.
If you want to get into events more easily, consider a SummerStage Membership which offers members express entrance to shows, seats on the bleachers and more.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Food and beverages are available to purchase at all shows. Menu items include burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian sandwiches, beer, and wine. At the free shows, food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted. However, glass bottles, coolers, and alcohol are not permitted.
NOT PERMITTED
The following cannot be brought into the Central Park venue: backpacks and luggage larger than 16″ x 16″ x 8", glass bottles, cans, coolers, folding chairs, bikes, roller blades, scooters, skateboards, beach umbrellas, video cameras, selfie sticks, musical instruments, professional camera gear or pets (service animals are allowed).
Bags are subject to search.
Smoking and vaping is prohibited in all NYC parks.
PETS
Pets are not allowed into the shows. Service animals and seeing eye dogs are allowed.
WEATHER
Shows are RAIN or SHINE and are only cancelled in the event of dangerous conditions. Announcements are made on the Facebook & Twitter pages. Should a Benefit Concert be cancelled, refunds will be available. Cancelled shows are not rescheduled. Small umbrellas are permitted inside the venue.
ACCESSIBILITY
SummerStage is accessible to the mobility-impaired. For additional information please call (212) 360-2789 and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator. To obtain the Parks Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), please call (800) 281-5722.
Things to Do Before the Show
Rent a bike or take a tour of Central Park (available all day)
Have a picnic in Central Park (pickup and delivery available)
About SummerStage
Founded in 1986, the SummerStage Festival features performances spanning World and American music, modern dance, spoken word, electronic music, and family programming.
By purchasing tickets to SummerStage Benefit Concerts, you are continuing to support over 100 free performances in parks throughout the five boroughs.
Most of the concerts throughout the summer are privately funded and may be enjoyed by the general public at no cost with the exception of some of the bigger shows on the Mainstage in the park.
City Parks Foundation (CPF) will welcome guests to their Annual Gala presented at SummerStage. The evening will help raise significant funds to support CPF's year-round free arts, sports, and education programs.