NYC's Best Free Outdoor Concerts: June 29-July 5 – 4th of July, Dance & More
A roundup of some of New York's best free summer concerts the week of 6/29
See some of the top outdoor concerts across NYC's five boroughs next week with Independence Day celebrations, jazz, social dance parties, silent discos and more!
(In case you missed it, bookmark our list of free summer show series for more fun this season)
Washington Square Music Festival at Washington Square Park
Tuesday, June 30, 8-9 pm
Music Director Ahmed Alom has announced the 68th season of the Washington Square Music Festival, four Tuesdays in June, on the Main Stage in the center of Washington Square Park. Concerts are free, and limited seating is available; lawn chairs are recommended. The Festival is under the auspices of the Washington Square Association. This week features the Festival Chamber Orchestra
Free & no rsvp needed
SHABAKA / Kokoroko in Central Park
July 1, 6-10 pm
SHABAKA has spent much of the past decade pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz with different groups. He reached into the past with Shabaka and the Ancestors, plumbed the depths of the Caribbean with the Sons of Kemet, and forged out into the cosmos with The Comet is Coming – both of the latter, SummerStage alumni. But, in recent years the artist and bandleader has retreated from the saxophone and into a more meditative space, exploring experimental and ambient sounds for his 2023 solo debut Afrikan Culture. His bold new direction is informed by the exploration of instruments like the Japanese shakuhachi, Mayan Teotihuacan drone flutes, Brazilian pifanos, Slavic svirels, South American quenas, and other Native American flutes.
He’s joined by Kokoroko, the London-based septet led by Sheila Maurice-Grey and Onome Edgeworth that strives to connect young people in the African diaspora through a fusion of funk and highlife; and Omar MBE, UK Soul legend who has collaborated & Performed with Common, Erykah Badu, Leon ware, Stevie Wonder etc received a lifetime achievement award from The Queen of England. and best known for his debut single “There’s Nothing Like This.”
No RSVP necessary.
Silent Disco: K-Pop Dance Night With DJ MOOBEK & HWARANG at Lincoln Center Plaza (UWS)
July 1 @ 8 pm
Enjoy a high energy K-pop Silent Disco with globally experienced DJs, blending international hits and electrifying sounds under the NYC skyline. This event is meant to be sensory-friendly.
General Admission is first-come first-served. Just show up! Fast Track RSVP opens the Monday before the event at noon for all. Become a member and enjoy priority entry with automatic access to every Fast Track line, all year round. See the website for accessibility information including for those who would have difficulty standing in line.
Joe McGinty & The Loser’s Lounge and DJ Bill Coleman at Lincoln Center Plaza (UWS)
Thurs. July 2 @ 6:30 pm
Dance the night away with live music from the golden age of disco by Joe McGinty & The Loser’s Lounge with special guest disco sets by DJ Bill Coleman.
General Admission is first-come first-served. Just show up! Fast Track RSVP opens the Monday before the event at noon for all. Become a member and enjoy priority entry with automatic access to every Fast Track line, all year round. See the website for accessibility information including for those who would have difficulty standing in line.
Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Knights at Bryant Park
July 3 @ 7 pm
Celebrate Fourth of July weekend at a free outdoor performance by the intrepid chamber orchestra The Knights—a self-described “fellowship of adventurous musicians” with a fervent following at Carnegie Hall and across New York City. Led by Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen, they bring a program that fuses classical music with numerous American influences in true “Knightsian” fashion. Hear arrangements of Bonds’s “Troubled Water,” based on the spiritual “Wade in the Water”; selections from Coleridge-Taylor’s 24 Negro Melodies, arranged by violinist Curtis Stewart; Stones River by violinist Jeremy Kittel, which draws from a multicultural well of American Revolutionary and Civil War music; Colin Jacobsen’s arrangement of Paul Simon’s “American Tune” and other short works; a piece by Jacobsen inspired by Dvorák and bluegrass; and more.
Free & no rsvp needed
Staten Island Philharmonic Concert: America 250: Happy Birthday America at Great Lawn in Conference House Park (Staten Island)
July 5 @ 4 pm
As part of the Conference House’s America250 series, this festive FREE concert celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary and founding legacy. Celebrate the nation’s founding weekend with the Staten Island Philharmonic in a festive Independence Day concert featuring patriotic favorites, American classics, and celebratory orchestral works. As part of America250 programming, this performance captures the spirit of July 4th through music that reflects the joy, complexity, and enduring legacy of the United States.
Free & no rsvp needed
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ivalas Quartet at Madison Square Park
July 8 @ 6 pm
Hear a free outdoor concert by the Ivalas Quartet, known for performing with “tremendous heart and beauty” (The Strad) and for enriching the classical music world with its dedication to the works of BIPOC composers. The group’s thoughtfully crafted program brings fresh insight to works by leading contemporaries Jessie Montgomery, Derrick Skye, and Angélica Negrón, as well as timeless repertoire by Bloch and Dvořák.
Free & no rsvp needed
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