Each year in early September, tributes and remembrances take place to honor the lives of those lost in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Such events have special resonance in New York City, where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center came down, thousands of lives were taken, and many more were affected—and remain so. The list below includes commemorations happening before, during and after the 25th anniversary of that day; in addition, spots such as the 9/11 Memorial (closed for visitation except for families of victims for much of the day), Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, Staten Island September 11 Memorial and Tribute Park in the Rockaways will serve as locations for more personal tributes.
Exhibitions at 9/11 Museum
Ongoing, Lower Manhattan
The core exhibits at the museum are accompanied by a series of rotating displays. Through the end of August, see The World’s Game: Soccer and 9/11, particularly appropriate after this summer’s World Cup. Coming soon are Responding in Ink: Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and 9/11, which looks at how authors and illustrators have responded to the attacks, and In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service, focusing on how 9/11 has moved people to act in positive ways to benefit others. Note that the museum is closed to the general public on September 11.
Remembering Judge + Resilience
September 6 & 11, Firehouse DCTV, Chinatown, Manhattan
This Chinatown cinema, which specializes in documentaries, will screen premieres of two FDNY-related shorts covering different aspects of 9/11. First is Remembering Judge, which looks at the life of FDNY chaplain Mychal Judge, the first confirmed victim of the attacks. Resilience, meanwhile, explores departmental responders who survived and have had to endure the effects of their efforts.
Day of Service
September 8–11, Intrepid Museum, Midtown West, Manhattan
If you want to get actively involved in an annual service day in honor of 9/11, sign up for a shift aboard the Intrepid, supporting those who pack meals for the food insecure.
NYC Still Rising
September 10, Madison Square Garden, Midtown West, Manhattan
Big names in comedy come to MSG for this fundraiser benefiting 9/11 charities. Among the headliners are Nikki Glaser and Pete Davidson, whose father, a New York City firefighter, died responding to the 9/11 attacks.
Tribute in Light
September 11, Lower Manhattan and Citywide
Each year at dusk on the anniversary of 9/11, this art installation illuminates the sky, projecting the shape of the Twin Towers. The powerful “Memorial Blue” beams can be seen from miles away; in the City, particularly good vantage points come from the Brooklyn waterfront, Sunset Park in Brooklyn and Gantry State Park in Long Island City. Note that multiple other buildings—including David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, as well as Rockefeller Center—light up their facades in blue in solidarity and commemoration.
Sounds of Remembrance, NY Philharmonic and Soldiers’ Chorus
September 11, Perelman Performing Arts Center, Lower Manhattan
The New York Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel, joins the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band for this commemorative concert. The program features music by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, plus the world premiere of a work by Julia Adolphe with texts by Safiya Sinclair, commissioned for the occasion.
St. John the Divine Documentary Film Screening
September 11, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Upper West Side, Manhattan
This new documentary, 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero, concentrates on how the public was involved in planning the redevelopment of the World Trade Center area.
Table of Silence
September 11, Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan
At the sound of a conch shell at first light, more than 150 dancers emerge onto Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza and move in concentric circles around the fountain. The music brings the dancers together for a moment of silence at 8:46am, when they raise their arms skyward in a call for peace.
Unforgotten: Butoh for 9/11
September 11, Father Duffy Square, Times Square/Theatre District, Manhattan
Vangeline Theater hosts an annual Butoh (a style of Japanese dance) performance to mark the anniversary of September 11 and allow space for collective mourning, remembrance and healing. The 2026 performance features an ensemble of mainly NYC-based dancers.
Notes of Tribute
September 11, Green-Wood Cemetery, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sit with others at an elevated perch in Green-Wood to view the Tribute in Light while listening to music and remembrances.
New York Resounds
September 11, Bryant Park, Midtown Manhattan
September 13, Kupferberg Center, Flushing, Queens
In honor of the fallen and the enduring resilience of everyday Americans, the American Symphony Orchestra performs works such as Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and George Walker’s “Lyric for Strings” (a piece originally titled “Lament”).
New York Yankees vs. New York Mets Subway Series
September 11–13, Yankee Stadium, South Bronx
The first pro sporting event in NYC after 9/11 was a memorable game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, in which Mike Piazza hit a late-game home run to lead the Mets to victory. The two New York teams will fittingly meet each other for this series on the weekend of the anniversary, in which the opener will feature a special tribute honoring first responders from 9/11, with performances as well.
A Night of Remembrance: NYPD Pipes and Drums Memorial Concert
September 12, Infosys Theater at MSG, Midtown West, Manhattan
This group of active and retired Irish American policemen will be joined by groups from Ohio, New Jersey and Massachusetts, as well as tenor Ronan Tynan, for this anniversary show.
Come from Away in Concert
September 13, Perelman Performing Arts Center, Lower Manhattan
The 2017 musical, which detailed how the people in a Newfoundland town took in thousands of stranded passengers whose flights were diverted on 9/11, was nominated for multiple Tony Awards. This performance reunites former cast members for a one-night outdoor staging of the show.
