Avery Wilson, New York Guitar Festival and More Join Bryant Park Picnic Performances

Bryant Park Picnic Performances has revealed new artists added to the schedule, including vocalist Avery Wilson, as well as performers slated for the New York Guitar Festival (now a two-day event), the Choir Festival, Emerging Music Festival, and more on the special September 11th tribute still to come. 

Remaining Bryant Park Picnic Performances for the 2026 Season: 

Carnegie Hall CITYWIDE: Avery Wilson – Friday, July 10

Acclaimed vocalist Avery Wilson joins Carnegie Hall Citywide for an evening of powerhouse vocals and genre-spanning performances in the heart of Midtown.

Carnegie Hall CITYWIDE: NATHAN & THE ZYDECO CHA CHAS – Friday, July 17

Experience zydeco, the fast and furious, accordion-driven Creole dance music of South Louisiana. With its trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars, and R&B influences, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas have been one of the most celebrated zydeco bands of the past 40 years, bringing their irresistible sound from festival stages to Louisiana dance halls.

Carnegie Hall CITYWIDE: NYC SKA ORCHESTRA – Friday, July 24

Take in the joy of a live performance by the NYC Ska Orchestra, blending big-band jazz, soul, and R&B with the iconic Jamaican music styles of ska, mento, rocksteady, reggae, and more. Led by celebrated trumpeter, singer, arranger, and educator Kevin Batchelor, the 20-piece ensemble also features legendary Jamaican musicians Larry McDonald and Carl Wright.

Carnegie Hall CITYWIDE: EL LABERINTO DEL COCO – Friday, July 31

Enjoy a concert by Afro–Puerto Rican bomba fusion innovators El Laberinto del Coco, led by master percussionist Héctor "Coco" Barez. Blending jazz, funk, reggae, and numerous Latin influences with traditional bomba rhythms and instruments such as the barril and cuá, the band expands the boundaries of bomba while staying true to its vibrant roots.

NEW YORK CITY OPERA: CELEBRATION OF Ella Fitzgerald – Friday, August 7

New York City Opera returns to Bryant Park with a special performance by three-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Latonia Moore, honoring the timeless music of the "First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald.

NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL – Friday, August 14

Hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer, the New York Guitar Festival returns with the first of two evenings celebrating global guitar culture. Featuring Raphaël Feuillâtre, Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque, Ziggy & Miles, and Gabrielle Leite, the evening showcases virtuosic classical guitar, Brazilian popular music, and folk-inspired improvisation.

NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL – Saturday, August 15

Guitar legend Marc Ribot has been added as a special guest guitarist with The Messthetics, making one of the summer's most anticipated performances even more exciting.

CHOIR FESTIVAL – Friday, August 21

Find your harmony (or simply enjoy everyone else's!) as Bryant Park welcomes three extraordinary vocal ensembles for an evening celebrating the joy of communal music-making:

• New York Vocal Collective – A groundbreaking professional a cappella ensemble blending pop, jazz, and R&B, led by Grammy- and Emmy-winning vocal arranger and producer Ben Bram.
• Sing Harlem! – The acclaimed choir that has performed everywhere from the Grammy Awards and Saturday Night Live to Good Morning America, as well as alongside artists including Sting, SZA, Madonna, Chance the Rapper, and Ariana Grande.
• Gaia Music Collective – A Brooklyn-born creative community bringing people together through collaborative music-making and song.

EMERGING MUSIC FESTIVAL – Saturday, August 22

Discover your next favorite artist with an exciting lineup featuring:

• Starcleaner Reunion – A New York indie rock band formed by lifelong friends.
• Lowertown - The indie rock duo met in high school math class and have developed a freeform songwriting that Pitchfork described as “fascinating.” 
• Magi Merlin – Blending indie pop, R&B, jazz, house, and hip-hop into her signature "Broken R&B" sound.
• Heathers – The acclaimed solo rock project from 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist Heath Michael Thomas.

ACCORDION FESTIVAL – Friday, August 28

Curated by Ariana Hellerman, Accordion Festival returns with leading Cajun musician Jourdan Thibodeaux, renowned Pakistani ensemble Saami Brothers, and Brooklyn's Chicha Libre, celebrating the accordion through Cajun music, Qawwali and Khayal traditions, and psychedelic cumbia.

Parallel Exit: SUNSET CIRCUS – Saturday, August 29

Enjoy an hour-long theatrical circus experience for the whole family from NYC's Parallel Exit, featuring performers from Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and more.

ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE – Thursday, September 3

Rising star saxophonist, singer, and composer Grace Kelly, known for her work as a band member on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, brings her signature blend of electro-pop and jazz to Bryant Park. Joining her is singer-songwriter and pianist Ashni, who blends jazz, R&B, pop, and North Indian folk influences into a distinctive contemporary sound.

BRASS FESTIVAL – Friday, September 4

Bryant Park's first-ever Brass Festival is headlined by the two-time Grammy-nominated, New Orleans-based New Breed Brass Band, alongside Aberdeen and Brass Queens, for a high-energy celebration of modern brass music.

DANCE PARTY ALL-STARS – Thursday, September 10

Curated by Talia Castro-Pozo, Dance Party All-Stars brings together two extraordinary bands that have become Bryant Park favorites. Following salsa and swing dance lessons on the Upper Terrace, audiences can dance along to performances by the Alfredo De La Fé All Star Band and the George Gee Swing Orchestra.

AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11 TRIBUTE CONCERT – Friday, September 11

Bryant Park Picnic Performances will close out the season with a powerful commemorative concert honoring the 25th anniversary of September 11. Performed by the American Symphony Orchestra, the evening will feature works by Aaron Copland, George Walker, Charles Ives, Joseph Haydn, and Gustav Mahler. Additional details, including special guests, will be announced soon.

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