Summer Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss
You’ll definitely want to add these festivals to your summer bucket list!
Music festivals have quickly become a staple event making their way to the top of everyone’s bucket lists. What makes festivals so special is the combination of the venue, the artists, the food, the art, the crowd, and the fashion that we don’t get the full experience of if we’re just going to a concert or a single show. Festival season has brought people together, mixing various cultures and identities, and allows us to be ourselves without the worry of what others may think. Festivals are an essential feature of New York City summers and it’s easy to understand why! Between the beautiful weather, the diverse people, and the city’s beautiful surroundings, there’s no better place to come together and vibe to the music surrounding us. Whether you’re sinking your toes in the grass of Randall’s Island Park or travelling to various venues around Brooklyn, a New York City festival is definitely something you won’t want to miss out on this summer. Celebrate music you already love, or open yourself up to a new genre you’ve never listened to before – whichever you choose you won’t be disappointed! Here are some Summer Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss – just don’t forget to rock your best festival fashion!
SummerStage
When?
June to early October
Where?
While most of the shows take place at the SummerStage main stage in Central Park, this series isn’t only a Manhattan affair. Performances and shows take place all summer long in various locations, including several parks and outdoor spaces around NYC.
What?
For New York music lovers, SummerStage is often a highlight among the long list of outdoor summer concerts. The City Parks Foundation Series, which is celebrating 32 wonderfully long years this year, is a force to be reckoned with as it’s booking everything from our favorite hip hop artists to well known indie rock bands on the main stage in Central Park. While the exact dates for this year’s festival have not been announced yet, events most often happen almost every day of the summer and include everything from dance parties and live music to live ballet and an outdoor opera series.
Governor’s Ball
When?
Friday, June 2 – Sunday, June 4
Where?
Randall’s Island Park, Randall’s Island.
What?
An annual Randall’s Island favorite, Governor’s Ball is one of the larger and more well known summer festivals, and it’s easy to understand why! Presenting festival-goers with a large genre of big name artists, including Lorde, Chance the Rapper, Wiz Khalifa, and Marshmello, along with lesser known but fan approved acts, this three day long festival is hard to pass up.
Northside Festival
When?
Wednesday, June 7 – Sunday, June 11
Where?
Various locations throughout Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
What?
Celebrating its ninth year running, Northside is a weeklong Williamsburg-centered festival that features concerts, film screenings, and talks run by Northside Media Group. Unlike most music festivals the Northside Festival encompasses a constellation of venues – small clubs, outdoor spaces, boutique hotels, and more – and the end result definitely does not disappoint. What this festival has to offer is a diverse experience that showcases rising local artists alongside big name artists. A single day might include discovering your favorite band, the next big startup, or the best visual content you’ve experienced all year.
Hot 97 Summer Jam
When?
Sunday, June 11
Where?
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.
What?
Hosted by the hip-hop infused radio station Hot 97, this annual show unites our favorite hip-hop names alongside some up-and-comers. Summer Jam has featured some of the most iconic names while at the peak of their fame, including Wu-Tang, Biggie, and the Fugees, and this year is no disappointment. Featuring artists such as Trey Songz, DJ Khaled, and French Montana, expect to get a serious case of FOMO if you’re not attending.
River to River
When?
Wednesday, June 14 – Sunday, June 25
Where?
Various sites across Lower Manhattan and Governors Island.
What?
Celebrating their 16th year, River to River presents twelve days of dance, music, theater, and visual arts composed of 100+ performances and events spanning 17 projects at 31 unique sites across Lower Manhattan and Governors Island. The festival also offers opportunities for audiences to interact with artists, socialize, and experience multiple facets of artists’ work and experience their creative process. If you’d like to immerse yourself into every aspect of art and culture, this is a festival you won’t want to miss.
Blue Note Jazz Festival
When?
Thursday, June 1 – Friday, June 30
Where?
Various venues throughout New York City.
What?
Presented by the Blue Note Jazz Club, this annual festival features almost 100 performances in 10 venues throughout New York City. The Blue Note Jazz Club has been an essential part of the city’s jazz scene since 1981 after it quickly became one of the first venues in the country to present jazz in an intimate, upscale setting. In addition to the Blue Note, some venues for performances include places as popular and well known as the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill as well as the Highline Ballroom, but also include smaller, more intimate venues.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
When?
Wednesday, June 7 – August
Where?
Prospect Park, New York City.
What?
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is an annual series of outdoor concerts that take place in Prospect Park, a scenic theater surrounded by nature and trees. Every year, the schedule features big names in a wide variety of genres, and immersing yourself in this environment is the guaranteed way to bring some spark to your summer. Whether you’re itching to see an indie rock band, want to open up to some soul or funk, or opt for one of their hip-hop artists, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! will definitely not disappoint.
Panorama Music Festival
When?
Friday, July 28 – Sunday, July 30
Where?
Randall’s Island Park, Randall’s Island.
What?
Organizers of Coachella, the California based festival that kicks off the long awaited festival season, took their bag of tricks over to New York City and debuted Panorama Music Festival last year at Randall’s Island Park. The three-day event features a variety of different artists including Tame Impala, Frank Ocean, and Alt-J along with lesser known up and coming groups. Though it’s only on its second year, Panorama Music Festival is definitely a festival you won’t regret attending this summer.
AFROPUNK Festival
When?
Saturday, August 26 – Sunday, August 27
Where?
Commodore Barry Park, Brooklyn.
What?
Described by The New York Times as “the most multicultural festival in the US,” AFROPUNK expands across two days to offer live music, art, and good vibes while celebrating black culture in its many forms. Striving towards raising multicultural awareness, this festival hosts a large number of well-known artists as well as offering attendees grub from popular food trucks, the experience of live artwork, and the SpinThrift Market. Go to AFROPUNK to feel the music, free your mind, and enjoy an incredible lineup of ground breaking icons and emerging talents.
Electric Zoo Festival
When?
Friday, September 1 – Sunday, September 3
Where?
Randall’s Island Park, Randall’s Island.
What?
As one of New York’s biggest electronic dance music festivals, Electric Zoo Festival is one festival you definitely won’t want to miss out on. Electric Zoo takes over Randall’s Island Labor Day Weekend and it brings hoards of EDM fans along with it. This festival has become a highlight of New York summers and has become not only a place to get down to your favorite artists, but also a mini fashion show. Get together a group of friends, find your most colorful tutu and best pair of dancing shoes, and make Electric Zoo Festival a top summer priority.
Meadows Festival
When?
Friday, September 15 – Sunday, September 17
Where?
Citi Field, Queens.
What?
Hosted by the same ones that bring you Governor’s Ball, Meadows Festival walked into the scene with a star-studded lineup full of world-renowned headliners and lesser-known groups that packed just as much punch. As a music and arts festival, Meadows Festival offers attendees not only music you can’t sit still to, but also food you won’t want to stop munching on, fun and activities such as ping pong and a photobooth, and art instillations you won’t be able to walk by. Meadows Festival is definitely a summer must!
