If you’re in New York this summer, be sure to put the Bryant Park Picnic Performances on your itinerary! These free concerts bring together many of the things I like about New York: great scenery, cool events, and you’ll be among locals.
Everything you need to know about the Bryant Park Picnic Performances in New York, I’ll tell you here!
My tip: check out the full list of artists and all parks featured at Free Concerts in the Parks here. And in addition to the free concerts, there are plenty of free movie viewings – you can find out more in my guide to Free Summer Movies in New York. Bryant Park is part of the action, too!
What are the Bryant Park Picnic Performances?
The Bryant Park Picnic Performances are part of the free concert series that happens every summer in New York. They are always a real highlight for me because I really like the scenery and atmosphere in Bryant Park!
When do the Bryant Park Picnic Performances take place?
Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the free concerts start in New York. You can attend them on the lawn behind the New York Public Library until mid-September.
When should you be there?
The lawn opens at 5 p.m. for each concert. If you want to sit far in front, you should be there about an hour earlier. You won’t get bored, because there’s plenty to see!
The 50 Absolute Best Things to Do in New York (90+ pages)
We’ve chosen the 50 best spots, events and activities to showcase the full diversity of New York City. Even after more than 20 visits, the city never gets boring for us. And with our recommendations, you’ll have a really good time in New York, too, and you’ll have plenty left for your next visit. If you’re not planning a trip yet, you’re sure to get wanderlust after perusing this list!
Movies and dates 2022
A total of 26 events have been confirmed for the summer of 2022:
May
- 27. Mai: New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville
June
- June 3: Contemporary Dance: Performers TBA
- June 4: Contemporary Dance: Ariel Rivka Dance and Works & Process at The Guggenheim’s The Missing Element
- June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel
- June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Music From the Sole
- June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park
- June 24: Emerging Music Festival curated by Ad Hoc
- June 25: Emerging Music Festival curated by Ad Hoc
July
- July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble
- July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project
- July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers
- July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta
- July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
- July 28: Artist TBA
- July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Artist TBA
August
- August 5: Artist TBA
- August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata
- August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang
- August 26: Habibi Festival with Joe’s Pub: Esraa Warda, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO
- August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage
September
- September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor
- September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin EvansSeptember 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem
- September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More
- September 17: American Symphony Orchestra
Related Events
If none of these dates work for you, check out these free summer concerts:
FAQ
Are the Bryant Park Picnic performances really free of charge?
Yes, to date, admission to Bryant Park concerts is free.
Can I bring my own food and drinks?
Yes, this is not a problem. If you bring alcoholic beverages remember to bring Brown Paper Bags.
Will the concerts take place in bad weather?
If the weather is too bad and your safety cannot be guaranteed, the concerts will be cancelled.
