The Hottest Tickets in Town: The Best Summer Concerts in NYC
The sun’s rays are giving way to a bright summer, and the city is wholeheartedly leaning into the season’s rhythm. And speaking of rhythm, music lovers can happily schedule their summer concert plans since New York has some of the hottest tickets in town. So, let’s get into it! Here are the best summer concerts in NYC.
1. The Outdoor Shows at the Rooftop at Pier 17:
If you are looking to buy concert tickets before the shows sell out, do not fret since there’s still plenty of upcoming shows this summer. On August 1, the Sad Summer Festival at the Rooftop at Pier 17 will feature a pretty solid lineup with artists like Mayday Parade, The Maine, The Wonder Years, and We The Kings. (Let’s get emo.) This nostalgic and memorable music fest will start at 1pm and conclude by 10pm, and it’s safe to suffice that there will be chill summer vibes at the pier all day long.
2. The SummerStage Concert Series:
The SummerStage Concert Series highlights some of the best summer concerts in NYC, and if you love to revel in the summer park scene, these concert venues across the five boroughs will not disappoint. A whopping 85 shows will be held at Central Park, and the names this year are big ones — say hello to Gaslight Anthem!Plus, this season, the SummerStage Concert series is celebrating artists around the globe like the Colombian star, Fonseca, Spain’s flamenco sensation, Israel Fernández, The Aussie BBQ, and the Sidonie and Balkan Paradise Orchestra who are a Barcelona-based psych-pop trio.
You can eagerly mark your calendar for July 11 at 6pm since the Counting Crows are set to perform at the City Parks Foundation SummerStage in Central Park. This epic performance on beautiful grounds is one that you will not want to miss.
3. The Picnic Performances at Bryant Park:
Some of the best summer concerts in NYC are the picnic performances at Bryant Park. (You can never go wrong with the idyllic charm of Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan, too.) All 25 performances are free with a capital F, and you can pack a summery picnic while thoroughly enjoying the performances from the comfort of your picnic blanket. (Sounds like a good deal to me!) The picnic performances at Bryant Park will feature extraordinary music from the Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Harlem Chamber Players, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the New York City Opera. This season’s lineup will also feature Louis Cato, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader, Steve Bernstein, a trumpeter who plays the music of James Bond, and Thandiswa Mazwai, a world-renowned pop star from South Africa. You can check out the rest of the Bryant Park performances here and plan a wonderful summer night of music and relaxation.
4. The Lineup at the Jones Beach Amphitheater:
Some of the best summer concerts in NYC can be found within the lineup at the Jones Beach Amphitheater. Technically, the Jones Beach Amphitheater is an hour outside of NYC, but it is a beaut of a concert venue that is certainly worth checking out nonetheless. (I’m also going to have to give a blatant shoutout here to my hometownof Long Island!) Long Island is famous for some of the best beaches on the East Coast, and with this particular concert venue, you can smell the salt air right from your seat and take in the sweeping views of the Jones Beach inlets.
The Jones Beach Amphitheater’s lineup features some of the most beloved and coveted artists in the music industry. Yellowcard, Third Eye Blind + Arizona take the stage on July 17 as part of their Summer Gods Tour (hello Millennial nostalgia once more), The Commodores + The Pointer Sisters, and The Spinners perform on July 25, and Train, REO Speedwagon & Yacht Rock Review go on July 27 to close out the month. August is a huge month for the Jones Beach Amphitheater as well with Imagine Dragons performing on August 2, The Beach Boys w/ Mike Love & David Mason of Traffic performing on August 8, Lynyrd Skynyrd & ZZ Top playing on August 22, Avril Lavigne + Simple Plan & Girlfriends performing on August 27, and James Taylor taking the stage on August 31 to end the summer series on a definite high note.
5. The Brooklyn Shows Under the K Bridge:
The Brooklyn shows under the K Bridge are some of the best summer concerts in NYC. A formerly abandoned industrial site is now what is currently known as the park under the Kosciuszko Bridge, also known as the K Bridge. The seven acres are now open to the public, and everyone is reveling in the open-air, waterfront space that is Newton Creek.The intricately designed space has various sections for recreation and culture; plus, woodland areas encapsulate thousands of trees and native plant species that are now thriving. So, with all of this good energy, it only makes sense that Brooklyn is now turning the park under the K Bridge into an elusive music venue.
On September 1 at 3 pm, Shimza, Spencer Brown, and many more will be under the K Bridge for an all-day-into-night event that will highlight music, music, and more music. (Plus, food trucks and a full bar will be available on site.) Labor Day weekend certainly still counts as summer, and there is no better way to end the season!
Summer is in full swing, and there is no shortage of musical performances in and around NYC. Music fans can check out the best summer concerts in NYC; the outdoor shows at the Rooftop at Pier 17, the SummerStage Concert Series, the picnic performances at Bryant Park, the lineup at the Jones Beach Amphitheater, and the Brooklyn shows under the K Bridge. Let’s dance our way through the summer!
