Capital One City Parks Foundation Unveils SummerStage 2026 Season Lineup

City Parks Foundation has unveiled the 2026 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City’s outdoor performing arts festival in Central Park and 12 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs.

The 2026 season will mark the festival’s milestone 40th anniversary, with special celebratory concerts and events highlighting four remarkable decades of performances across New York City’s parks. See the full season brochure HERE.

In June of 1986, the first-ever SummerStage show kicked off with a bang, as avant-garde Afrofuturists Sun Ra Arkestra touched down at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park.  Both the park and our city’s cultural landscape have been forever changed. In the 40 years since, SummerStage has presented thousands of global artists to audiences numbering over seven million, bringing hundreds of free live performances to neighborhood parks across the city.  

This year's annual gala, on Thursday, September 10th, will commemorate the festival's 40th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, City Parks Foundation will honor founder Joe Killian with the SummerStage Icon Award for his vision that resulted in the creation of SummerStage and for his dedication to the organization for four decades.

The benefit will also honor Alex Blavatnik, Vice Chairman of Access Industries and Director of the Blavatnik Archive, with the City Parks Foundation Icon Award, for his investments that have preserved cultural history and made it freely accessible to the public. 

The 40th anniversary season will continue SummerStage’s long-held tradition of showcasing both established and emerging artists. The lineup will feature a multitude of genres including jazz, hip-hop, indie-rock, salsa, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, pop, global, contemporary dance, and more. 

Neighborhood parks hosting SummerStage this season include Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, Crotona Park in the Bronx, and SummerStage’s flagship venue Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, among others. Performances will also take place in Staten Island, with park details to be announced. Events will be free and open to the public, with the exception of select ticketed benefit concerts in Central Park. 

This year’s festival will continue to champion the diversity of New York City, uplift women and non-male identifying performers, and bring artists from across the globe to the city. 

Opening the 2026 season on Wednesday, June 10 in Central Park will be a free show in association with the Blue Note Jazz Festival featuring a lineup of jazz vocalists heralded for their distinct styles. The show will be headlined by GRAMMY-winning jazz/R&B powerhouse vocalist Ledisi performing material from her acclaimed 2025 album Ledisi for Dinah, a personal tribute to blues singer Dinah Washington, her lifelong musical hero. The evening will also include performances by Brooklyn-based modern jazz vocalist Spilata as well as DJ Kultured Child.

The season’s free shows in Central Park will spotlight an array of musical styles and artists from around the world. The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series will return with a new production on June 15, which will also be presented in June across parks in NYC. These events form part of Carnegie Hall's United in Sound: America at 250 festival. 

New York Sings Yiddish: Passing The Torch to a New Generation on June 22 will showcase a new generation of Yiddish musical and cultural performers including the young female Yiddish vocalist duo The Shvesters, comedy team Yidlife Crisis, and more in association with The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.

British Mercury Prize-nominated indie alt/rock band Black Country, New Road, Chicago-based female indie power trio Horsegirl, and power pop auteur Kai Slater’s lo-fi pop project Sharp Pins will bring their indie vibes on June 24. On June 26, avant-garde performance artist, musician, and filmmaker Laurie Anderson will make her SummerStage debut, taking the stage with genre-defying ensemble Sexmob as part of her new Republic of Love tour.

On July 2, Giant Step - in association with the Blue Note Jazz Festival - will present a stellar evening of British jazz/soul featuring influential modern jazz instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Shabaka Hutchings, performing as SHABAKA, versatile jazz and funk septet Kokoroko, and acclaimed singer/songwriter and actor Omar.

On July 8, critically-acclaimed band Spoon takes the stage, along with indie rock quartet Ratboys and NYC-based alt/indie rock band Bodega. July 9 brings Jamaican singer Shaggy of “Angel” and “It Wasn’t Me” fame, presented in association with VP Records and Boombastic Radio.

On July 16, soul singer and national treasure Mavis Staples returns to SummerStage. The gospel-infused show will also feature the inspiring vocal stylings of Brother Wallace. The event will be presented in association with The Apollo Theater.

SummerStage will celebrate dance this season with a free performance in Central Park on July 22 from Paul Taylor Dance Company, the NYC-based Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and critically acclaimed choreographer and “Queen of Social Dance” Latasha Barnes’ The Jazz Continuum. This performance is presented in association with the Joyce Theatre.

On July 12, a Bastille Day celebration in association with the Consulate General of France will showcase noted contemporary French hip-hop artist Black M, esteemed “Rockollection” singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Laurent Voulzy, and theatrical veteran French pop/rock singer and songwriter Michel Polnareff. 

On July 15, in association with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication and Maroc Festivals, a day of Moroccan music new and classic from Hoba Hoba Spirit, Hamid El Kasri Dakhla, Casa Xpress, and Mr ID. The Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) will return to Central Park for two performances; groundbreaking GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning Mexican indie singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Julieta Venegas will take the stage on July 29, joined by Venezuelan pop/rock singer-songwriter Lasso and NPR Alt.Latino Co-Host DJ Anamaria Sayre.

On August 1, rising stars in the Latin hip-hop scene will take the stage, including Argentinian hip-hop/reggaeton star Trueno, Argentinian trap/hip-hop artist Milo J, charismatic Dominican rapper J Noa, and KEXP’s DJ Albina Cabrera. Other global highlights in Central Park include August 2 when the Chinese Institute of America presents Chinese boy band WayV, a spinoff of the massive K-pop group NCT, joined by electronic trio The Either.

August will see the return of several SummerStage performers to Central Park for the 40th celebration. On August 6, enigmatic indie folk/rock/jazz singer-songwriter Andrew Bird and the Wordless Music Orchestra will perform his seminal album, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, in full to mark the album’s 20th anniversary presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment. One of African music’s premiere musical ambassadors, five-time GRAMMY-winning Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, will bring her trademark captivating vocals back to Summerstage on August 23 to enchant audiences, performing tracks from her forthcoming new album Hope!! She will be joined by DJ Freshy K in association with the World Music Institute

Continuing with the theme of milestone anniversaries, Taiwanese Waves will celebrate its 10th anniversary on August 16 with a lineup that includes Taiwanese vocalist and pop culture icon 9m88, Taiwanese-American hip-hop/Mandopop star ØZI, the distinct sounds of Taiwanese artist YELLOW, groovy psychedelic electronic pop group Mong Tong, Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Chance Emerson, and Chinatown-based collective Chinatown Records.

Hip-hop icon Funk Flex will celebrate his longtime history with the festival across the boroughs when he presents his annual Birthday R&B Picnic in Central Park on August 7, featuring soulful R&B singer Jon B, and more, and on Staten Island on August 8, with dance/house music icon Crystal Waters, freestyle star Cynthia, freestyle/hip-hop legend Frankie Cutlass and more. Flex will also present a Hip-Hop Appreciation Park Jam at Crotona Park in the Bronx on July 31 with “human beatbox” Doug E. Fresh. 

Free SummerStage shows in neighborhood parks across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx will celebrate our anniversary with performances spanning the music landscape from NYC and beyond. MIKE's Young World is back in Herbert Von King Park, Brooklyn on July 11, featuring the return of hip-hop impresario Max B, and a live performance from MIKE himself with the acclaimed Band of the Century.

On July 12, Herbert Von King Park will welcome innovative GRAMMY-winning R&B/soul vocalist Bilal and compelling jazz/hip-hop/R&B duo GENA in association with The Apollo Theater.  Beloved New York hip-hop trailblazers and 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees De La Soul will perform at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens along with hip-hop legend Pete Rock on July 17.  

DJ Rekha will present the iconic Basement Bhangra Beyond party in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens on July 19 featuring British Punjabi and hip-hop star Jaz Dhami, classically-trained vocalist Mitika Kanwar, and more. Award-winning veteran Ghanaian rapper Edem and Ghanaian radio host Andy Dosty will perform at Crotona Park in the Bronx in association with GhanaFEST-NY on August 1.

Staten Island will welcome salsa singer and El Gran Combo veteran lead vocalist Charlie Aponte, along with Dominican-American bachata star Judy Santos. In Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, a trio of shows will be presented; On August 12, The Voice of Miles Davis: A Symphonic Celebration, a supergroup tribute to the genius of Miles Davis, will feature a powerhouse ensemble of alumni from various Miles Davis ensembles in partnership with Jazzmobile SUMMERFEST and Park Avenue Artists. The Soapbox Presents: Run It Back, The Art of the Sample Vol. II will return to Harlem on August 22. 

An array of music influencers will also commemorate anniversaries with their SummerStage shows this season. NYC hip-hop label Duck Down Music will take over Brooklyn’s Herbert Von King Park on July 9 to fête their 30th anniversary with Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. of NYC hip-hop collective Boot Camp Clik, and the 30th anniversary of the underground classic album Nocturnal. 

On July 30, the groundbreaking compilation series Ultimate Breaks and Beats (UBB) celebrates its 40th anniversary in Central Park, helmed by the series’ co-founder, DJ, and producer Breakbeat Lou. He’ll be joined by a lineup of legendary hip-hop DJs, producers, and MCs including Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Grand Puba, Sadat X, and more. On September 2, the jazz label Verve will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a cavalcade of label artists including 11-time GRAMMY-winning jazz bassist/composer Christian McBride and Japanese/English jazz/rock artist Mei Semones and others, playing the music of Getz/Gilberto, presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.

 On July 12, American soul luminary Mereba will bring her soulful sounds to Herbert Von King park in Brooklyn for a show in association with COLORSXMUSIC; on July 26 in Central Park, the Afro-Latinas showcase will present a lineup of female voices from Brazil including bold Afro-Brazilian singer and activist songwriter Luedji Luna performing with acclaimed Latin GRAMMY-winning vocalist Liniker, legendary Afro-Peruvian singer and 2025 latin GRAMMY Special award honoree Susana Baca and more in association with the Festival Latinidades and Afro-Latino Festival NYC. 

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, New York City’s annual salute to the eponymous late saxophonist, will return for its 34th year as a three-day celebration of live jazz in the neighborhoods where Parker worked and lived, Harlem’s historic Marcus Garvey Park and Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.

Running August 28-30, the festival will feature a blend of renowned artists alongside an emerging wave of jazz performers, including the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, esteemed jazz saxophonist/composer Joshua Redman, distinguished jazz saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane, and many others. Additional ancillary jazz events will be held across the city, with more performers to be announced in the coming months.

The 2026 SummerStage season will also feature ticketed benefit shows in Central Park to help fund the festival’s free performances. Live Nation, the official producer of SummerStage benefit concerts, will present Bronx natives and global house music stars The Martinez Brothers on June 13; multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter Elderbrook on June 20; Anjunadeep’s Open Air New York City showcase on July 18; pioneering blues rock band Blues Traveler with ‘90s hitmakers Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors on August 15; rockers Simple Plan with early aughts mainstays 3OH!3 and Bowling for Soup on August 19;  acclaimed country rock/blues group The Marcus King Band on Sept. 12; prolific country singer-songwriter Charley Crockett on Oct. 1, and more, with others still to be announced.

From June through August, a free, curated commemorative photo exhibition titled “40 In Focus: SummerStage through the Lens of Photographer Jack Vartoogian” will be on view at the Arsenal Gallery (830 Fifth Avenue) presented by City Parks Foundation in collaboration with NYC Parks Art & Antiquities. The exhibition will feature a selection of intimate, rarely seen imagery that gives viewers a look back at past decades of outdoor live music in New York City, a peek behind the curtain with never-before-seen backstage photos, and honors those artists who have passed on. The show is free and will be open to the public from June 12 - August 21; more details here.

Subaru will present the 2026 Subaru Music Series at SummerStage in Central Park. This four show series will kick off with opening night on June 10 with Ledisi for Dinah, Spilata and DJ Kultured Child in association with Blue Note Jazz Festival and continue on June 11 with Yellowcard, New Found Glory and Plain White T’s, on July 8 with Spoon, Ratboys and Bodega, and culminate on August 15 with Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors.  

For the most up-to-date scheduling and lineup for all SummerStage programming, visit www.SummerStage.org for all festival information.