Love seeing music outdoors? You're in luck: New York City offers that opportunity—in abundance—every summer. Celebrate Brooklyn and SummerStage may be the best-known examples, but there are all manner of concert series that bring musical acts to outdoor venues across the five boroughs, along with with festival events like . Each year is different but consistent, with a mix of big names, up-and-comers and those with cult followings ready to put on a show in a scenic setting. Kim Gordon, Earl Sweatshirt, Justin Vivian Bond and Khruangbin are just a few acts you can see this season; fans of jazz, theater, opera, soca and pretty much every other musical genre are catered to as well. Read below for selected highlights and start planning your next open-air, tune-filled good time. Note: Most of the shows below are free; we've indicated which ones are and which require ticket purchases. We've also indicated the ongoing series they are a part of; click through to see those full lineups.June 13, Rumsey Playfield, SummerStage, Central Park, ManhattanGordon, former bassist of noise rock heroes Sonic Youth and still the coolest person in whatever room she happens to be in, co-headlines this show; she has released two solo records, including 2024's The Collective. The Arkestra, meanwhile, has been transporting people on an Afrofuturistic jazz space journey for nearly three quarters of a century. Free; June 18, 20, 24, 26, 28, various locationsEach summer the Met Opera performs concerts in parks across the boroughs. A mix of established singers and up-and-comers take part in these shows, which take place in Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Jackie Robinson Park, the Williamsbridge Oval and Socrates Sculpture Park. Free June 19, Damrosch Park, Upper West Side, ManhattanHear Reagon's investigation into songs of freedom at this Juneteenth concert, which features a choir and full band; nearby Hearst Plaza, on the Lincoln Center campus, to celebrate the day. Free; June 28–29, Bryant Park, Midtown, ManhattanCatch young bands before they've made it big at Bryant Park's two-day celebration. Eight bands will perform, including Chicago indie-rock darlings Horsegirl; previous iterations have featured such ascendant artists as Madison McFerrin. Free; June 29, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, BrooklynIf you've never experienced the excitement of these funk-punk-ska pioneers live, it's time to change that. Expect a good time and a dance-along when they kick into "Party at Ground Zero" and "Ma and Pa" (and basically every song). Mexico City's Son Rompe Pera open. Free; June 30, Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, ManhattanIt's been 60 years since Riley composed In C, a minimalist, improvisational jazz piece based on short melodies and loops that is designed to be played by any number of musicians. A big group will gather for their take on a work that, like a river, is never the same twice. Free; Summer for the City July 7, Conference House, Tottenville, Staten IslandThe borough's Philharmonic will wait till the weekend to celebrate the country's birthday, with a concert on the park grounds of a site that dates back well before the country's founding. July 13, Herbert Von King Park, Bedford-Stuyvesant, BrooklynEarl Sweatshirt headlines the fourth installment of this hip-hop festival, which will also feature Stacy Epps, Myaap and Sideshow. The organizer is local rapper Michael Bonema—stage name "Mike"—who started the Slums collective and has released much of his music via Bandcamp. Free; SummerStage July 18, Rockefeller Park, Lower ManhattanThe second of four concerts in Battery Park City's features this rootsy band, which is fronted by Bronx-born singer Alynda Segarra. They have a new album, The Past Is Still Alive, that has a road-weary feel conveying a lot of hard-won truths. Free July 20, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QueensLondon DJ Rekha Malhotra helped introduce bhangra music to these shores with their Basement Bhangra party, which ran at SOB's for 20 years. It's back for a night in Queens. Free; SummerStage July 20, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, BrooklynCheck out the sounds of the Southwest Asia and North Africa region at this festival, courtesy of Bab L'Bluz, Yacine Boulares and other musicians of the diaspora. It serves as a preview of the festival at Joe's Pub, which takes place October 8–12. Free; Celebrate BrooklynJuly 24–28, Little Island, Meatpacking District, ManhattanMx. Bond, a downtown nightlife mainstay (frequently as part of the act Kiki & Herb), does a week of cabaret at the Glade in Hudson River Park's Little Island. Arrive early, as it's a relatively small space and seating is first come, first served. Free; August 1, Crotona Park, the BronxOld-school hip-hop enthusiasts should put their Filas on and head to this all-star concert. Hosted by Video Music Box impresario , the show will feature Schoolly D, Ice T, Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, Ultramagnetic MCs and an array of other acts from the genre's early ascendant days. It's in honor of radio DJ Chuck Chillout, who played a lot of these acts on his shows starting in the mid-1980s. Free;SummerStage August 7, Hudson Yards, ManhattanThis westside neighborhood holds a string of free summer performances, including this one featuring Emmy winner and R&B singer Palmer. Free; August 7, Citi Field, Flushing, QueensMaybe it's not actually better to burn out, as these '80s heavyweights still keep the rock of ages rollin'. The hits will be plenty, the sing-alongs frequent and the lighters raised high. Now is not the time to stop believin'. (Also, did we mention the Steve Miller Band is joining for this show? Well, abracadabra, it is so.) TicketedAugust 8, Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, BrooklynBelgium-based electropop duo Adigéry and Pupul released Topical Dancer in 2022 to near-universal acclaim. Their light touch on serious topics will be on display at the concert, though equally compelling is Sinkane, a Sudanese American artist whose stew of influences and loves—funk, worldbeat, Krautrock, the Grateful Dead—makes his music familiar yet impossible to pin down. Free; Celebrate Brooklyn August 9, Bryant Park, Midtown West, ManhattanThis husband-and-wife team brings its show, Broadway en Spanglish, to an outdoor setting. They delivery bilingual versions of Broadway songs, influenced by their theater background and upbringing in Mexico. Free; Bryant Park Picnic Performances August 15, Rooftop at Pier 17, The Seaport, ManhattanThere might not be a more scenic spot for an outdoor concert than Pier 17, with the Brooklyn Bridge and East River as a backdrop. On this night, the Stray Cats will be ready to rock this town with their throwback brand of rockabilly. Will Slim Jim Phantom show up with more than a snare, bass and crash cymbal as his kit? You'll have to head to The Seaport to see. Ticketed August 18, Union Pool, Williamsburg, BrooklynThe spirit of post-punk, cowpunk and just punk is alive with Kid Congo Powers, who was a member of seminal bands the Gun Club, the Cramps and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds back in the day. He now fronts the Pink Monkey Birds, perhaps a happier sounding name but still with garage rock attitude. The show takes place on Union Pool's outdoor patio, as do all the free shows in the venue's Sunday afternoon series. Free; September 20–21, Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills, QueensWho says summer vibes end on Labor Day? Just in time for the end of the season, the Texas trio Khruangbin arrives with its warm, soulful psychedelia grooves. Fall can wait. Ticketed
