Little Island to Close Season With ALLEN GINSBERG AT 100 and PAPI JUICE

Little Island brings its third season to a triumphant close this week, concluding another sold-out summer with a final lineup of world-class performances and experiences across its open-air venues —The Amph, The Glade, and throughout the park.

The closing week follows a standout season of ambitious, genre-spanning programming, including last week’s world premiere of Julio Torres and Martine Gutierrez’s Marina; The Sporkful: The Great Yogurt Feud digging into Bulgarian yogurt featuring James Beard Award® winning host of The Sporkful, Dan Pashman; and Brooklyn nightlife stars Papi Juice, who welcomed Coyado, x3butterfly, and SoFTT for their penultimate party of the season. To download photos from Julio Torres and Martine Gutierrez’s Marina, please click here.

From Wednesday, September 2 through Sunday, September 6, Little Island presents its final week of the 2026 season, including Thomas Bartlett with Laurie Anderson, Peter Hale, and Jesse Goodman, celebrating Allen Ginsberg’s centennial in an epic series of concerts, readings and park-wide takeovers, including special guests Rufus Wainwright, Bill Frisell, Anne Waldman, Davóne Tines, Justin Vivian Bond, Taylor Mac, Gina Gershon, Michael Cunningham, Marc Ribot, Ella Hunt and more; Cake Zine: Closing Time where the James Beard Award® winning food magazine presents a live, interactive issue focusing on the past, present and future of New York’s ever changing dining scene with stories, music and conversation, including Meatpacking neighborhood icon Florent Morellet; and Brooklyn nightlife stars Papi Juice throw one final epic floor-packing party, this week featuring Soul Connection.

THIS WEEK AT LITTLE ISLAND: 

Thomas Bartlett: ALLEN GINSBERG AT 100

Performances Wednesday, September 2 at 8:30 PM; Thursday, September 3 at 8:30 PM; Friday, September 4 at 8:30PM; Saturday, September 5 at 8:30 PM; Sunday, September 6 at 8:30PM in The Amph 

All tickets $25

An epic series of concerts, readings and park wide takeovers celebrating Allen Ginsberg’s centennial

Curated by: Thomas Bartlett

Consultants: Laurie Anderson; Peter Hale and Jesse Goodman, in collaboration with the Allen Ginsberg Estate

• September 2 Performers: Thomas Bartlett (Piano), Oren Bloedow (Guitar), Jason Burger (Drums), Jennifer Charles (Vocals), Little Annie (Vocals), Spencer Murphy (Bass), Douglas Wieselman (Woodwinds & Guitar), Davóne Tines (Vocals), Anne Waldman 
  • Guest: Justin Vivian Bond, Rufus Wainwright
• September 3 Performers: Thomas Bartlett (Piano), Laurie Anderson, Little Annie (Vocals), Oren Bloedow (Guitar), Jason Burger (Drums), Jennifer Charles (Vocals), Spencer Murphy (Bass), Douglas Wieselman (Woodwinds & Guitar), Davóne Tines (Vocals), Anne Waldman
  • Guests: Dr. Mahogany L. Browne Michael Cunnigham, Bill Frisell,  Gina Gershon
• September 4 Performers: Thomas Bartlett (Piano), Laurie Anderson, Little Annie (Vocals), Oren Bloedow (Guitar), Jason Burger (Drums), Jennifer Charles (Vocals), Spencer Murphy (Bass), Douglas Wieselman (Woodwinds & Guitar), Davóne Tines (Vocals), Anne Waldman
  • Guest: Gina Gershon
• September 5 Performers: Thomas Bartlett (Piano), Little Annie (Vocals), Oren Bloedow (Guitar), Jason Burger (Drums), Jennifer Charles (Vocals), Spencer Murphy (Bass), Douglas Wieselman (Woodwinds & Guitar), Davóne Tines (Vocals), Anne Waldman
  • Guest: Taylor Mac
• September 6 Performers: Poetry in the Glade / 6:30PM: Thomas Bartlett, Laurie Anderson, Morgan Bassichis, Adam Eli, Nile Harris, Slava Mogutin, Carmelita Tropicana, Tiresias, Janice A. Lowe, Ras Burnett, Tongo Eisen-Martin.
• Tai Chi in the Play Ground / 7:30 PM: Master Ren Guangyi, Laurie Anderson, Sarth Calhoun
• 8:30 PM in the Amph: Thomas Bartlett (Piano), Laurie Anderson, Little Annie (Vocals), Oren Bloedow (Guitar), Jason Burger (Drums), Jennifer Charles (Vocals), Spencer Murphy (Bass), Douglas Wieselman (Woodwinds & Guitar), Davóne Tines (Vocals), Anne Waldman
  • Guest: Ella Hunt, Marc Ribot, Eddie Stern
• DJ in the Play Ground / 10:15 PM: Laurie Anderson

CAKE ZINE: CLOSING TIME

• Performances Friday, September 4 at 5 PM; Saturday, September 5 at 5 PM; Sunday, September 6 at 5 PM in The Glade 
• Free admission 
• The James Beard Award® winning food magazine presents a live, interactive issue focusing on the past, present and future of New York’s ever changing dining scene with stories, music and conversation
• Host: Aliza Abarbanel; Sept 4: Original Stories Read By: Melissa Lozada Oliva, Fran Tirado, Stephanie Wambugu, Savannah Sobrevilla; Conversation With: Phoebe Tran and Aliza Abarbanel; Sept 5: Original Stories Read By: Hilary Leichter, Mychal Denzel Smith, Nicolaia Rips, Eric Kim; Conversation With: Ifrah F. Ahmed and Aliza Abarbanel; Sept 6: Original Stories Read By: Leslie Jamison, Larissa Pham, Sahir Ahmed, Doreen St. Félix; Conversation With: Erik Piepenburg & Florent Morellet  
• Food Pop-Up: Sept 4: Phoebe Tran, Bé Bếp, Vietnamese-American inspired recipes; Sept 5: Mr. Jong, park-inspired, freshly grilled family meal

PAPI JUICE PARTY

• Performance September 4 at 9:45 PM in The Play Ground
• Free admission 
• Brooklyn nightlife stars throw their signature DJ fueled partY
• Curator: Papi Juice; Lighting Designer: Wildblur
• Musical Guests: Papi Juice, Soul Connection 

The complete 2026 summer season includes concerts, world premieres, live radio shows, culinary events and parties—and through takeovers of the entire park. Presenting 56 performances by and featuring more than 200 artists in a dense, high-impact celebration of New York’s cultural life, Little Island enters its most focused and dynamic programming model yet. As in years past, The Amph tickets are $25, and The Glade performances and The Play Ground parties are free to the public – all enhanced by curated food, cocktails, and refreshments, served al fresco on the Hudson River.

Inspired by New York’s past and present cultural scenes – held in Little Island’s stunning 700-seat amphitheater, The Amph, overlooking the Hudson. In Little Island’s intimate 250-seat performance space, The Glade, six new live radio shows explore the hidden stories behind everyday foods. Following each program, visitors can enjoy a carefully crafted culinary pairing that complements the themes of the show. The Play Ground, the main gathering space at Little Island, comes alive with DJ fueled parties and food pop-ups for hundreds.

Sitting directly in the Hudson River itself, Little Island opened in May 2021 and has since been enjoyed by more than 7.5 million visitors and has presented and produced more than 885 performances. In 2013, Barry Diller, in partnership with Hudson River Park Trust leadership, embarked on the unique opportunity to envision a solution for the repair and reactivation of Pier 54, which had been badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The park was designed as an entirely new type of public space for New York, one that would create an immersive experience of nature and art. Born from a collaboration of the UK-based Heatherwick Studio and the New York-based landscape architecture firm MNLA, led by Signe Nielsen, the park’s imaginative design offers all New Yorkers and visitors a new public space that is dynamic, captivating, and restorative. 

Little Island is fully funded by The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Zack Winokur is Producing Artistic Director. The park is operated year-round by a 55-member staff led by Executive Director Laura Clement.

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