Among the best reasons to live in New York City is that you'll never run out of things to do free of charge. You can catch a bilingual Shakespeare production that’s touring all five boroughs, perfect your downward dog in Times Square or watch a fancy French film in your local park – or do all three, and more – without spending a cent. And that's not even counting all the free fitness programs we told you about yesterday.
Here are some of the best options coming up in the days, weeks and months ahead. We’ll update this list regularly as additional activities are announced.
Hear a brilliant instrumentalist make his Lincoln Center headlining debut
Flutist Brandon Patrick George is no stranger to the city’s concert halls and stages … in fact, he played Carnegie Hall late last month with Imani Winds. For his Lincoln Center headlining debut, he’ll showcase music from a forthcoming album, “Twofold,” seeking affinities across centuries by mixing time-tested classics with new pieces by Reena Esmail, Saad Haddad and Shawn Okpebholo. The concert is happening at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium, an airy space that provides a constant stream of noteworthy free concerts. May 4, David Rubenstein Atrium; details here.
Head to the Hudson for a workout with a view
If you want to work on your warrior poses – and don’t care who’s watching – the Healthy on the Hudson series offers free yoga classes and high-intensity interval training classes and guided meditation sessions somewhere in its vast expanse every weekday during the summer. Currently ongoing, Hudson River Park; details here.
Brush up your Shakespeare, in English y en Español
The Public Theater is a trusted name in Shakespeare productions, thanks to its annual Central Park residency (about which, see June listings). But you don’t have to wait until June to get your bard on: Mobile Unit, the Public Theater’s traveling company, is presenting Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” right now, in a new bilingual musical version created by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri. The production will visit indoor and outdoor locations in all five boroughs through May 21, and then open on May 25 at the Public Theater, where it runs through June 11. Currently ongoing, various locations; details here.
Bust a move before your Broadway show
Free concerts, DJ parties and comedy sets are underway in Times Square as of this week, courtesy of TSQ Live, a series whose season announcement we covered last month. Ready to go? You can check out the Curtis Brothers Quartet this evening, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, and drop by again tomorrow for a West African dance lesson directed by Ailey Extension. Times and locations vary, but head to the Broadway Pedestrian Plazas and you’ll catch on fast. Currently ongoing, Broadway Pedestrian Plazas; details here.
Heat up your weekend with salsa at The Seaport
The popular Seaport Sounds series starts tomorrow night with a Cinco de Mayo salsa party. Show up at 6 p.m. and take a quick lesson, then burn up the dance floor during two sets by Grupo Centeno. Admission is free, but an RSVP is requested. After this week, the music continues every Thursday at 5 p.m., with a steady stream of DJ sets and pop-up performances in store. May 5, Seaport Square at Pier 17; details here.
Experience a wide variety of arts and culture projects on Governors Island
When it comes to concentrated doses of original, diverse creative culture, it's hard to beat the collection of Organizations in Residence on Governors Island. Housed within the buildings lining Nolan Park and Colonels Row are two dozen organizations engaged in artistic pursuits, education and conservation. They're all open to the public every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting tomorrow. Keep an eye on the Governors Island website for news of further free outdoor events, including concerts and film screenings. May 11-Oct. 29, Governors Island; details here.
Sing along with Sonny Singh at the Brooklyn Museum
If you’re heard the irresistible Punjabi party band Red Baraat, then you know Sonny Singh's trumpet playing and singing. He's also performed extensively with Arooj Aftab, and last year released his debut solo album, “Chardi Kala.” In addition to being a singer, songwriter, musician and bandleader, Singh is a Sikh activist and educator who works to promote tolerance and understanding. His music draws upon formative years performing kirtan, but he packs a lot of other musical influences into his sound. His free performance is part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide initiative, which puts on free concerts featuring local and global artists throughout the city. May 6, Brooklyn Museum; details here.
The distinctive art of Yayoi Kusama is featured in a major show at David Zwirner, opening May 11.
Yayoi Kusama, courtesy David Zwirner
Sample uptown food, arts and crafts at Harlem Bazaar
An instant hit at its launch last year, Harlem Bazaar returns this Sunday for a second year of showcasing uptown arts and crafts, culinary fare, and beauty and wellness products. The event happens on the first Sunday of every month, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Oct. 1. No tickets or reservations are required, but you can RSVP here to enter raffles and qualify for giveaways. May 7, 125th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building; details here.
Gaze upon infinity in an extensive new Yayoi Kusama show
The idiosyncratic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is one of the art world’s top draws, and her new show at David Zwirner, “Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers,” promises to be one of her biggest shows to date in several ways. The show is planned to sprawl across three Zwirner spaces on West 19th Street, and will include her customary sculptures inspired by flowers and pumpkins, original paintings and a new Infinity Mirror Room. You definitely should anticipate substantial lines – but you can register for a chance to skip them on the Zwirner website, here. May 11-July 21, David Zwirner; details here.
Eat your way around the world at the Queens Night Market
The Queens Night Market is one of the culinary highlights of the year, a fun and friendly way to sample Afghan mantu, Peruvian ceviche, Trinidadian shark sandwiches, and Sichuan ice jelly — literally dozens of options from around the world, and all of it reasonably priced. The Night Market also offers also arts and crafts vendors, activities for kids, DJs and live music. It's open every Saturday night starting at 5 p.m. in the wide-open field adjacent to the New York Hall of Science in Corona — the best way to get there is to take the 7 train to 111th Street. May 13-Aug. 19, Flushing Meadows Corona Park; details here.
Watch a movie on a rooftop (or at a park or in a backyard) near you
Rooftop Films, a premier purveyor of outdoor screenings, has just announced a robust schedule of outdoor film screenings throughout the city throughout the next few months. They're not all free of charge, but many of them are, and a series that specifically caters to free community movie nights starts on May 13 with the 1984 hip-hop saga "Beat Street," screening at Brooklyn's Restoration Plaza. (RSVP for that event here.) In addition to a steady course of family fare, comedies and action flicks, look out for special events: you can watch Sacha Jenkins's documentary "Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues" in the literal backyard of Armstrong's former residence in Corona (May 30), commemorate Juneteenth with a film about jazz drummer Max Roach at Von King Park in Bed-Stuy (June 17) and wake up before you go-go to a documentary celebrating the pop duo Wham! at Industry City (June 29). Various dates and locations; details here.
Celebrate the culture and art of Manhattan’s Lower East Side
Theater for the New City will host its 28th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts over Memorial Day weekend. Specific programming hasn’t been announced yet, but the event generally provides an ample smorgasbord of theater, poetry, music, film, performance art, children’s events and more, all meant to celebrate the storied neighborhood’s cultural and ethnic heritage. May 26-28, Theater for the New City; details coming soon here.
After a few preview events were delayed by rain, the Queens Night Market opens to the public free of charge on May 13.
Scott Lynch for Gothamist
Listen to live music on the lawn in Bryant Park
Bryant Park Picnic Performances, one of the city’s most popular free concert series, kicks off this year with a fully staged and costumed performance of Puccini’s beloved opera “La Bohème” produced by New York City Opera on June 1. The rest of the series, which we previewed in April, includes events produced by a range of New York City cultural institutions; highlights include a concert by hypnotic drone-rock combo 75 Dollar Bill (Aug. 26) and the U.S. debut of Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol (Sept. 9). June 1-Sept. 14, Bryant Park; details here.
Go Wilde with Oscar in Riverside Park
Hudson Classical Theater Company opens its summer season with a production of Oscar Wilde’s comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest,” staged each Thursday through Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Riverside Park. The company has two more productions in store this year: “The School for Scandal,” an 18th century English comedy of errors (June 29-July 23), and “Margaret: Shakespeare's Warrior Queen,” based on (July 27-Aug. 20). June 1-25, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Riverside Park; details here.
Savor concerts, dance, film, poetry and more at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center’s expansive, all-embracing “Summer for the City” series – which we previewed in April – returns for a second season, offering even more something for pretty much everyone. The official opening event is on June 14, when Cuban-Spanish singer-songwriter Lucrecia lights up the centrally located Dance Floor with salsa combo 8 y Más – but be sure to check out the calendar before then, because events actually start rolling out on June 1. Highlights among the many free events include an enveloping campuswide Juneteenth program assembled by Carl Hancock Rux (June 18), a concert with calypso star David Rudder (June 28), a dance party featuring the Stax Academy Rhythm Section with organ legend Booker T. Jones (July 12), a globalFEST takeover (Aug. 5) and a clutch of brilliant shows marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop (Aug. 9-12). June 1-Aug. 12, Lincoln Center; details here.
Savor dance on film with grass between your toes
“Films on the Green,” an annual outdoor French film festival produced by the French cultural institution Villa Albertine, is presenting a range of international selections in which dance plays a prominent role. Opening at Central Park’s Cedar Hill on June 2 with Jacques Demy’s beloved “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort,” the festival will serve up ballet, tango, flamenco, hip-hop and more in parks and green spaces throughout the city. June 2-Sept. 8, locations vary; details here.
Enjoy an intimate encounter with the arts on Little Island
Little Island, the artificial floating park and performance venue on the Hudson River at Pier 55, will offer a packed summer season of free events running June 2 through Sept. 3. The schedule, which we previewed in April, includes concerts, dance performances, comedy events and more in the Glade, the more intimate of its performance spaces, and the Play Ground, the spacious plaza that greets all arrivals. No tickets or reservations are required, making this a choice destination for impromptu outings. June 2-Sept. 3, Hudson River at Pier 55; details here.
Kick-start your heart with a Bollywood dance class
Dancers and choreographers from New York City’s Ajna Dance Company lead hourlong classes devoted to Bollywood and bhangra dance styles, nearly every Saturday morning (except for July 1) throughout the summer. June 3-Aug. 26, Pier 63, Hudson River Park; details here.
Bryant Park welcomes visitors to its popular annual Picnic Performances series starting on June 1.
Ryan Muir
Celebrate Brooklyn with a blues legend in Prospect Park
Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr., the Harlem-born roots music icon better known as Taj Mahal, opens this year’s BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series on a stacked bill featuring vocalist Corinne Bailey Rae and The Harlem Gospel Travelers. This year’s season, which we previewed yesterday, includes a wide variety of attractions for all interests and tastes, from Kelela and Liv.e to John Cale and Oumou Sangaré. June 7, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park; details here.
For “Hamlet,” Central Park is the place to be (forget about ‘not to be’)
For its 61st free Shakespeare in the Park presentation, the Public Theater is mounting one of the playwright’s core classics, “Hamlet,” in a new modern-dress production directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon. The moody prince of the title is portrayed by Ato Blankson-Wood, nominated for a Tony for his work in “Slave Play” on Broadway, and previously featured in Public Theater musical adaptations of “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It.” June 8-Aug. 6, Delacorte Theater; details here.
Watch brilliant dance companies in action on the Hudson
For two evenings in June, Hudson River Park and The Joyce Theater join forces to present the Hudson River Dance Festival, which hosts free performances by dance companies from throughout the city and points beyond. Confirmed participants for this year’s event include Ayodele Casel, The Missing Element (commissioned by Works & Process), Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Paul Taylor Dance Company. June 8 & 9, Hudson River Park Pier 63; details here.
If you don't mind gawkers staring while you stretch, yoga returns to Times Square for the Summer Solstice.
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Participate in hands-on culture events at the River to River Festival
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023, focuses on themes of reclamation, resistance and interconnectivity in its 22nd River to River Festival, a showcase of events representing a broad variety of disciplines and perspectives. This year’s festival opens on June 9 with a public reception for “El Camino: Stories of Migration,” an exhibition installed by the multimedia and archival project Nuevayorkinos in window galleries at The Seaport’s Fulton Market, and continues through June 18 with one-on-one performances, workshops, participatory events and more. June 9-18, various locations; details to be announced here.
Watch a movie outdoors on an island with a view
Governors Island Arts and Film at Lincoln Center will host outdoor film screenings on the Island’s historic Parade Ground, an eight-acre lawn offering spectacular views of Lower Manhattan. The series is curated by Film at Lincoln Center in partnership with Rooftop Films. Screenings will be held on June 9, July 7, and Aug. 11… check back soon for titles and times. June 9-Aug. 11, Governors Island Parade Ground; details to be announced.
See SummerStage bare its soul to open its Central Park series
Alabama soul group St. Paul and the Broken Bones open this year’s free SummerStage series at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield on June 10, headlining a show with Say She She and Mwenso & the Shakes. The SummerStage season, which we previewed in April, includes more than 80 events in all, and the majority are offered free of charge. June 10, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park; details here.
Watch a movie outdoors in midtown, among thousands of neighbors
The incredibly popular Bryant Park Movie Nights series, which is now in its 30th year, has just announced a branding partnership with the Paramount+ streaming platform. What this portends for this year’s lineup of films remains to be seen, but the basic facts remain the same: the lawn opens at 5 p.m., films start at 8, and you’ll need to leave your chairs, plastic lawn coverings and dogs at home. June 12, Bryant Park; details to be announced here.
Hear classical music under the sky at the Naumburg Bandshell
Billed as the oldest continuously running outdoor classical music concert series in the world, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts remain a consistent delight after 118 years – and this season, every concert opens with a new brass fanfare composed for the occasion. The series starts with the iconoclastic early-music ensemble Acronym on June 13, and continues with programs featuring The Knights, A Far Cry, Nosky's Baroque Band and ECCO. June 13, Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park; details here.
Catch the New York Philharmonic in a park near you
Anticipating the start of his final season as music director of the New York Philharmonic, conductor Jaap van Zweden leads this year’s “Concerts in the Parks” series, which opens at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on June 13. For that concert, and those that follow in Central Park (June 14), Cunningham Park in Queens (June 15) and Prospect Park in Brooklyn (June 16), the program includes popular classics by Beethoven, Rossini and Copland, alongside new pieces by participants in the orchestra’s Very Young Composers program. The all-borough tour wraps up on June 18 with an indoor event on Staten Island. June 13, Van Cortlandt Park; details here.
Meet up with the Metropolitan Opera in the city parks
The Metropolitan Opera launches its popular annual series of free outdoor recitals on June 20 at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield, where you’ll hear two singers featured in starring roles next season, soprano Gabriella Reyes and baritone Will Liverman, plus tenor René Barbera, who made a strong impression in the Met Opera’s recent staging of “Der Rosenkavalier.” The same program repeats at Brooklyn Bridge Park on June 23; four additional parks concerts happening June 24-30 will feature up-and-coming performers. June 20, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park; details here.
Participate in a yoga class smack dab in the middle of Times Square
Solstice in Times Square returns for the longest day of the year, offering yoga classes in the Broadway Pedestrian Plazas. Mats and water are provided; changing rooms and bathrooms aren’t. Classes are free, but participants are urged to donate what they might have paid to Community First, an initiative meant to build trust among vulnerable people reluctant to accept assistance. Advance registration starts on June 1, and if you’re too shy to try it out in person, you can boot up the livestream and stretch along at home. June 21, Broadway Pedestrian Plazas; details here.
Take in a concert at Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards and The Bowery Presents are joining forces for Summer Concerts at The Wells Fargo Stage, a weekly series offering free concerts by acts like Geese (June 21), Thuy (June 28) and The 502s (Aug. 2) in the Public Square & Gardens. The concert series is just one part of a summertime lineup that also includes movie nights and live sporting events on an outdoor screen; DJ events on the plaza, fitness classes, music for kids and more. June 21-Aug. 9, Hudson Yards; details here.
A spectacular view enhances performances at the Battery Dance Festival, happening in August.
Phil Mahabeer
Watch competitive eaters gorging on hot dogs in Coney Island
It’s a July 4 tradition, and it’s free of charge, so naturally we’re mentioning it: Nathan’s Famous, at the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island, will host its world-famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4. Marvel at the sight of your fellow humans cramming one tube steak after another into their gaping maws … and then find yourself a salad. July 4, Nathan’s Famous; details here.
Take in an original sequel to a Shakespeare classic
Last summer, The Classical Theatre of Harlem had a big hit with its popular and critically acclaimed staging of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” What better for this year’s offering than to learn what happened next for Malvolio, the vain and pompous yet clearly ill-treated steward. “Malvolio,” by Betty Shamieh, revisits the infamous boor – now a victorious general – 20 years after his comeuppance in Shakespeare’s comedy. July 8-29, Marcus Garvey Park; details here.
Shake a leg down to the Battery for a week of free dance
Billed as New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival, the Battery Dance Festival offers a full week of programs by companies from throughout the city and around the world. Presentations by local troupes are liberally dotted with city and world premieres; among the international visitors are first-time appearances by companies from India and Norway. Aug. 12-18, Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; details here.
Get a daylong case of the blues on the Hudson River
Danielle Ponder, John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band and Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas are among the acts performing at this year’s Blues BBQ Festival, a popular annual celebration mounted by Hudson River Park. The festivities get underway at 1 p.m., and information about food and drink vendors is coming soon. Aug. 19, Hudson River Park Pier 76; details here.
Swing with jazz greats and rising stars, uptown and downtown
The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns for its 31st year, presenting three evenings of marquee names and promising newcomers. The opening-night event in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park finds the estimable vocalist Dianne Reeves joining pianist Orrin Evans and his Captain Black Big Band. Day two, also at Marcus Garvey Park, features all-star combo The Cookers and South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini; the finale, at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, stars saxophonists Charles McPherson, Vincent Herring and Chelsea Baratz. Aug. 25-27, locations vary; details here.
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