tuesday
thru 8/11 (tuesdays at 7pm): live at the gantries: set against the waterfront backdrop of gantry plaza state park in lic, the live at the gantries series of outdoor concerts returns with artists spanning global sounds, jazz, soul, latin music, indie, folk, and more. tonight: ajoyo. presented by kupferberg center for the arts. free admission. >>
thru 7/28 (tuesdays at 6:30pm): boardwalk blues: presented in partnership with jazz foundation of america, boardwalk blues brings together blues and roots musicians from around the region to perform on hudson river park’s pier 97 (midtown west). tonight: phil young’s house of blues featuring vocalist annette st. john. >>
tues 4-9pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movies: the sandlot and bend it like beckham at domino square (williamsburg). >>
tues 7pm: the new york groove live! ‘nyc vs. usa’ edition: the new york groove, a local, independent, journalist-owned, member-supported newsletter, brings together a mix of newsmakers and comedians for a new show about how to be a better new yorker. tonight’s edition, featuring guests harry siegel (faq nyc) and tom delgado (tom d.’s big new york show), dives into ‘new york patriotism’ and the times the city has fought the country and won. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘nygskint15’ (reg. $24-25). >>
tues 7:30pm (+ 7/21, 8/4): naumburg orchestral concerts: since 1905, the naumburg orchestral concerts season has brought free music to central park. returning to the historic naumburg bandshell for its 121st season, tonight’s program features self-conducted chamber orchestra delirium musicum performing works by franz schubert, philip glass, max richter, jessie montgomery, and more. hosted by wqxr’s jeff spurgeon. all concerts are free to attend and will be broadcast live. >>
tues 8pm: bad movie night brooklyn: masters of the universe: sip a cold one while watching 1987’s masters of the universe with a room full of bad movie fans at wild east brewing (gowanus). free admission. >>
wednesday
weds thru 8/21: jazzmobile summerfest61: jazzmobile, the oldest u.s. not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created just for jazz, brings its long-running concert series back to ulysses s. grant memorial (morningside heights) and richard rogers amphitheater in marcus garvey park (east harlem). free admission. >>
weds thru 7/19: 139th annual our lady of mount carmel feast (giglio festival): nyc’s oldest italian-american street fest serves up street food, carnival games, rides, live music, and the famous ‘lift of the giglio.’ the area around our lady of mount carmel church (n 8th + havemeyer streets), free admission. >>
weds thru 7/18: 19th annual japan cuts: festival of new japanese film: north america’s largest festival of contemporary japanese film returns for its 19th year with 30 award-winners, indie darlings, up-and-coming filmmakers, restorations, documentaries, anime, short films, and more. japan society (midtown east), $16+ general, $14+ seniors/students. >>
weds + thurs (various dates thru 8/8): lincoln center’s summer for the city: lincoln center’s annual campus-wide arts festival returns with two months of free and choose-what-you-pay concerts, performances, film screenings, dance parties, and more. this week: social dance with glad rags orchestra (weds 6::30pm); silent disco with madame gandhi (weds 10pm); brazil day performances and a silent disco (thurs various times); and more. >>
weds various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
► bring it on at resiliencity park (hoboken) >>
► on the town at seaglass carousel (the battery) >>
► raiders of the lost ark at pier i in riverside park south (uws) >>
► ronaldo at soccer field in thomas jefferson park (east harlem) >>
► the mighty ducks at maria hernandez park (bushwick) >>
weds (various times): summerstage: the city parks foundation presents its 40th season of free and benefit performances across the city. today: spoon / ratboys / bodega / alisa ali at central park’s rumsey playfield (6-10pm); duck down music presents: heltah skeltah + o.g.c. of boot camp clik, nocturnal + da storm 30 year anniversary at herbert von king park in bed-stuy (6-9pm). free admission. >>
sponsored: weds 6pm doors: free screening of on the town under the stars at the battery: join the downtown alliance, the battery conservancy and pac nyc for a special free outdoor screening of the beloved mgm musical on the town (1949) in the heart of the battery. this interactive evening will include giveaways, surprise performances and more! pack a blanket, bring friends and family and enjoy a magical musical evening under the stars. >>
weds 6pm: carnegie hall citywide: carnegie hall steps out of midtown to bring a mix of live performances to venues throughout new york city. the annual series features artists of all genres including classical, broadway, jazz, latin music, and beyond. tonight: ivalas quartet performs works by jessie montgomery, derrick skye, angélica negrón, bloch, and dvořák at madison square park’s oval lawn (flatiron). free admission. >>
weds 6pm (bi-weekly thru 9/2): yoga club: ‘touching grass’ tour: for the first of its ‘touching grass’ tour of nyc parks, yoga club brings a free all-levels vinyasa session to brooklyn’s cadman park plaza. byo mat. >>
weds 6:30pm: 33 1/3 in conversation: authors from the 33 1/3 series discuss the research and writing behind their books on iconic albums. featuring joanna mcnaney stein (k.d. lang’s ingénue), kevin dunn (stiff little fingers’ inflammable material), michael t. fournier (the minutemen double nickels on the dime), and glenn hendler (david bowie’s diamond dogs). copies of the featured books will be available for purchase. fountain bookshop (washington heights), $5 admission. >>
weds 7pm (monthly): fantastic fiction at kgb: this monthly speculative-fiction reading series, hosted by editor ellen datlow and writer matthew kressel at kgb bar (east village), welcomes writers sam rebelein (galloway’s gospel) and victor manibo (the villa, once beloved) for a night of readings and discussion. free admission. >>
weds 7pm (monthly): peer revue: ted talks with a twist. real experts give real talks on big ideas—like quarks or the fall of rome—then comedians wing it while trying to make sense of slides they’ve never seen before. hosted by ben lillie, with talks by ben miller, mark popinchalk, noah guiberson, and kyle marian, and comedy by willa barnett, brielle demirjian, alise morales, and shyaporn theerakulstit. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘skintrevue’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>
weds 7pm (wednesdays thru 8/12): jazz at pier 84: celebrate all things jazz with live music by local artists in hudson river park. the 2026 season continues tonight with chief baba neil clarke trio. free admission. >>
weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by kim dinaro (fallon), tawanda gona (desus and mero), katie blunt, and mohammed shaheen. free admission. >>
weds 8pm doors (thru august): rooftop films summer series: dark toons: rooftop films returns for its 30th summer of indie screenings across rooftops, parks, and other open-air spots around nyc. tonight: ‘a hallucinatory collection of animated shorts exploring worlds on the edge of coherence, suspended somewhere between dream logic and waking nightmare,’ plus pre-show music from elsa steixner, post-screening q+a with the filmmakers, and an afterparty. the old american can factory (gowanus), $22. >>
weds 8pm: sunnyside horror society: sleepaway camp: sunnyside horror society’s july summer slasher series kicks it back to 1983 with a screening of sleepaway camp at sanger hall (sunnyside). free admission. >>
weds 9pm: my kinda night! a queer variety show: billie bullock and sarah creamin’ onion host an evening filled with drag, cabaret, comedy, and more at medusa bar brooklyn (east williamsburg). free admission (bring $ to tip the performers). >>
thursday
thurs thru 8/27 (thursdays at 6:30pm): sunset salsa: newcomers and seasoned salsa dancers alike can hit the dance floor at hudson river park’s sunset salsa series, returning to pier 76 (midtown west) for another summer of waterfront dance parties. beginner lessons start at 6:30pm, followed by an open dance at 7:15pm. free admission. >>
thurs thru 8/27 (thursdays at 7pm): 2026 queens jazz trail concert series: inspired by the queens jazz trail map highlighting the homes of jazz legends, this annual concert series brings free jazz concerts to eight queens parks. tonight: itai kriss + televana at travers park (jackson heights). >>
thurs thru 8/1: chain theatre summer one-act festival: the chain theatre’s annual festival showcases more than 80 new one-act plays by both emerging and established playwrights, presented across 27 programs throughout the month. chain theatre (midtown), $24 adv, $27 door. >>
thurs thru 7/30 (thursdays at 6:30pm): river + blues concert series: the long-running summer series returns to downtown’s wagner park with free waterfront concerts pairing global and american folk, roots, and blues music with sunset views and picnic-friendly fairgrounds. tonight: grammy-winning rebirth brass band with opener dj blessed. free admission. >>
thurs thru 7/30 (thursdays at 6:30pm): sixth annual summer music series at bushwick inlet park: live music returns to the 86 kent shoreline esplanade (williamsburg) thursdays this month. tonight: el puente/cadre presents bombayo. free admission. >>
thurs thru 7/30 (thursdays at 7:30pm): astoria park waterfront concert series: central astoria ldc’s annual concert series is back with four evenings of live music on astoria park’s great lawn. tonight: bon jovi / journey tribute band bonjourney. free admission. >>
thurs various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
► black panther at union square park (flatiron) >>
► by george at at seaglass carousel (the battery) >>
► national treasure at the unisphere in flushing meadows corona park (queens) >>
► pelé at lincoln center’s hearst plaza (uws) >>
► tron ares at city hall park plaza (jersey city) >>
► hamilton at brooklyn bridge park’s harbor view lawn >>
► black joy film fest: versailles ’73: american runway revolution at restoration west plaza (bed-stuy) >>
thurs 7-11pm: pancakes + booze art show: a feast for your eyes and belly, the pancakes + booze pop-up art show takes over brooklyn monarch with works by more than 100 local artists, music, and all-you-can-eat pancakes. brooklyn monarch (east williamsburg), $19.05 adv, $ 20 door. >>
thurs 8pm (monthly): tip top tits comedy show: it’s comedy or bust at the tip top tits comedy show, hosted by mary cella and jill weiner and featuring connor creagan (comedy central), mary houlihan (comedy central), darlene bereznicki, jaron young, and molly brenner. bonus: $3 pbrs. tip-top bar + grill (bed-stuy), free admission. >>
thurs 8pm (monthly): savage! comedy show: savage comedy returns to logan’s run in park slope. hosted by lizzie martinez, melissa rocha, nonye brown-west, and chloé cunha, tonight’s show includes standup by bridget foley, kristal adams, julianna dudley, bridget foley, dasia smith, and royce wynn. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>
thurs 8:30pm: landline comedy at wild east brewing co.: landline comedy serves up pints of hoppy humor straight from the barrel cellar at wild east brewing co. (gowanus). tonight’s lineup includes chloe radcliffe (fallon), tito garza (don’t tell comedy), ashley bez (younger), darius dinkins, chris castelli, and lautaro borrovinsky. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>
thurs 9:30pm: sagematch: scientists and comedians go head-to-head creating presentations based on topics given by the audience and delivering them on the spot. hosted by ben taylor. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘sageskint’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>
ongoing
our roundup of 70+ ongoing events: free public beaches and pools, free shakespeare in the park, rooftop cinema, art shows, and more. >>
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