NYC events in July 2024

From the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show to parties on NYC's rooftop bars and cruising around on boat tours, we've got you covered on how to spend the perfect summer holiday with friends and family.

Francophiles can celebrate Bastille Day—NYC’s annual celebration that usually includes street fairs, dance events, live music, and performances (the cancan!)—through a number fun events this year. There are two major Bastille Day events this year on July 14.

The first is FIAF's Bastille Day Celebration taking over the Upper East Side with cultural programming, a champagne party, two film screenings, more than 50 French and local vendor booths, and free activities for all ages. Also don't miss a music festival featuring French performers in Central Park that night.

A bevy open-air night markets will pop up around town this summer, from the Bronx to Brooklyn and Manhattan to Queens. Plus, the Vegan Night Market and Latin Night Market are back! This summer also sees the first Union Square Night Market and the first Lincoln Center Night Market.  

We've rounded up details on all of them, so grab some cash and make plans to eat locally—and deliciously. 

In the resonant words of A$AP Rocky, "The nails, the kilts, the pretty-boy swag, the pearls—I think it's just being comfortable. I just express myself with fashion, and what's fly is fly." What's fly is "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" at the American Museum of Natural History, a new show that features dozens of incredible necklaces, rings, watches, chains, and more worn by some of the biggest names in music.

A few highlights include T-Pain's Big Ass Chain necklace, Ghostface Killah's eagle arm band, Nicki Minaj's Barbie pendant, Beyoncé's nail rings, Cardi B's nipple covers, and Slick Rick's crown. While the pieces are a sight to behold up-close, the exhibit carries a much deeper meaning, especially as New York City wraps up its 50 years of hip-hop celebrations.

Sometimes you’ll feel very tall, sometimes very small, and sometimes in awe of it all at this new New York Botanical Garden exhibit that celebrates the magic of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. With a variety of botanical and artistic exhibitions throughout the Bronx garden’s 250 acres, “Wonderland: Curious Nature” encourages visitors to get “curiouser and curiouser” around every turn. 

See a massive white (well, actually green) rabbit made entirely of plants; explore an enchanting English garden with delightfully weird flora; climb through a rabbit hole; hang out in a house made of mycelium bricks; and much more at this sprawling exhibition. Wonderland: Curious Nature runs through October 27, 2024, and will evolve with each season.

Though it's now more than 150 years since the first publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the delightful story with its heroic protagonist feels just as fresh as ever—especially at New York Botanical Garden with its enchanting scientific and artistic twist on the story. 

The Brooklyn Poetry Slam’s popular monthly event—a two-round performance poetry competition, where poets are given three minutes to read their own original work in the hope of being one of the five to advance to the second round and impress the judges—is celebrating seven years at Downtown Brooklyn cultural institution, BRIC.

Held on Tuesday, July 2 from 6pm to 8pm at The Plaza at 300 Ashland (with Tuesday, July 16 set aside for a just-in-case rain date), the special evening will spotlight poetry and community, led by co-founders Mahogany L. Browne and Jive Poetic.

If you're Broadway enthusiast but don't necessarily have the budget to check out all the best shows, you'll enjoy this: Bryant Park is going to play home to some of the most iconic Broadway productions on select days from 12:30pm-1:30pm next month, so you can get a taste of it all. 

The performances, an effort organized by 106.7 LITE FM and iHeartRadio Broadway, will kick off on Thursday, July 11 and continue for the subsequent three Thursdays on a stage setup in the park at Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets. 

Dubbed Broadway in Bryant Park, the lineup is stacked with some of the best numbers from some of the most popular musicals. 

Because the events are free, it's recommended that you show up early to secure a good spot. 

Don’t bother with Orlando. Coney Island is its very own magical kingdom, setting off free, sensational fireworks every Friday night all summer long. Grab a frank and get yourself a comfortable spot on the boardwalk to celebrate the end of the work-week every week.

Friday Night Fireworks run every summer Friday through Labor Day. Fireworks begin at approximately 9:45pm and launch from the beach at West 12th Street, providing a breathtaking backdrop to the iconic boardwalk and amusement parks.

The Rooftop at Pier 17 has long been one of our favorite concert venues in New York City. The panoramic views, the chill vibe, and the stellar acoustics make it a truly special spot to see a show. And with this year's stacked lineup of 60+ concerts this summer, it's definitely worth heading there for a night of live music.

The sixth Summer Concert Series on The Rooftop at Pier 17 features more than 60 artists in genres from rap (Isaiah Rashad) to rock (Social Distortion) to electronic (Electric Callboy) and more. Plus, there are several bands on the roster that will make Millennials swoon with nostalgia (like Taking Back Sunday, Something Corporate, Two Door Cinema Club, and Mayday Parade). Read on for the full lineup and get tickets here.   

The U.S. national anthem was written in 1814, long before the Civil Rights movement, the World Wars and the Internet were a thing. For those reasons, and many others, some might say that the Star Spangled Banner feels outdated and not reflective of contemporary America.

That's why the Brooklyn Public Library and Lincoln Center asked dozens of musicians to come up with an American anthem that reflects the collective hopes, struggles and histories of today's America—and you'll soon be able to hear the songs that were selected as the finalists. The three anthems will be performed live at the Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park on July 6 starting at 8pm, an event that will be free and open to the public to attend. 

Admission to the concert is first-come-first serve, so make sure to show up early to secure your spot. For more information on the concert, visit Lincoln Center's website. 

New York summers wouldn't feel the same without the iconic MoMA PS1 music series, which every year highlights some of the most relevant DJs of the moment. MoMA PS1's Warm Up series is about to back for its 26th season in Long Island City.

For six Fridays in July and August, the museum's outdoor space turns into a giant day party from 4pm-10pm. The lineup includes Hyperdub label founder Kode9, Jersey club pioneer UNIIQU3, Juliana Huxtable and other underground club culture icons from cities like São Paulo, Paris, and beyond. 

Eat your way through Japan without ever leaving New York City at JAPAN Fes, the massive foodie festival, which is back and bigger than ever for 2024. The organization is hosting 30 outdoor events this year stretching through November in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Event organizers say it's the largest Japanese food festival in the world, attracting 300,000 visitors and featuring 1,000 vendors every year.

Expect dishes including takoyaki, ramen, matcha sweets, yakisoba, karaage, okonomiyaki, and lots more. They're even hosting a ramen contest and a konamon contest this year to crown the best of the bunch. Vendors hail from New York City, as well as other states and other countries. 

Here's the full list of dates and neighborhoods.

After a successful debut last year, West Side Fest—a festival celebrating the best of the West Side—is back and bigger than ever with free access to museums, performances, and other all-ages fun. The festival runs from July 12 to 14 along the western side of Manhattan, expanding from one day to three days this year. 

Activities include free admission to Dia Chelsea, a block party at Poster House, art-making at The Whitney, a family day at The Rubin, performances at Little Island, and much more. While many organizations are offering free admission to programs and events, advance registration may be required so check here before you go.

Bryant Park's Picnic Performances will bring the best of NYC to the stage, including the New York City Opera, Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Harlem Chamber Players, and the American Symphony Orchestra.

Best of all, all 25 performances are free and open to the public. Many performances will be livestreamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website in case you can’t make it in person.

The lineup includes The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Louis Cato; trumpeter Steven Bernstein playing the music of James Bond with Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra; the NYC premiere of Ghanaian highlife band Gyedu-Bly Ambolley; Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE dance company; South African world pop star Thandiswa Mazwai and many more.

One of the city’s most beautiful summer traditions is on its way, and you won’t want to miss this free viewing experience.

Manhattanhenge, the phenomenon when the sun sets along with Manhattan's grid, making it appear like the orange orb is sinking between the skyscrapers, occurs every summer. It's a special time when pedestrian traffic slows, and everyone's temporarily aware of their surroundings to observe the gorgeous natural occurrence. 

See "full sun on the grid" on Friday, July 12 at 8:20pm. As for the "half sun" option, you can see that on Saturday, July 13 at 8:21pm.

The piano man is back! And with new music to boot. Earlier this year the New Yorker released his first single in decades, "Turn the Lights Back On," followed by his 100th show at Madison Square Gardens—a record-breaking residency that's been running since 1978.

He plays his last show in the series there this July, featuring all his big-hitters, including "Uptown Girl," "We Didn’t Start the Fire," "Just the Way You Are" and so forth.

The beloved Movie Nights series is coming back to Bryant Park this summer with Paramount+. Screenings will take place every Monday at 8pm from June 10 through August 12. 

Be warned, though: the screenings are very popular and Bryant Park recommends getting there at 6pm in order to snag a good spot, but we suggest getting there even earlier, perhaps by 5pm, when the lawn opens for picnicking. 

Here's the July lineup:

• July 1: The Gladiator (2000)
• July 8: Old School (2003)
• July 15: Funny Face (1957)
• July 22: Cinema Paradiso (1988)
• July 29: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Celebrating the wonder that is Christmas in July, Leyenda is reviving its holiday bar "Sleyenda." Returning for just one week this month, from July 15 to 21, Sleyenda plans to bring festive cheer in the form of fantastical decorations and Mariah Carey on repeat.

Themed cocktails will make an appearance like the tequila-forward Coquito Ho Ho and the Nutcracker Old Fashioned. And to cool off and have some cheer while you’re at it, the frozen cachaça-based Candy Striper is a good bet. So dust off your Christmas hat and don your finest pair of shorts—the best of time of the year is apparently here.

Basically a massive maze made of ropes, this new exhibit allows attendees to jump inside, climb, relax and even get lost in the whole webbed arrangement that’s comprised of 80,000 feet of handwoven rope, which is part of a 400-square-foot interactive artwork created by Treenet Collective, a net expert company. 

Find "The INTERnet" at INTER_, the interactive art center at 415 Broadway by Canal Street in Soho.

The installation, which accommodates 15 people at once, boasts a variety of different weaving styles, each one creating a "setting" for folks to dive into, including the "quantum leap," where guests can play in mid-air, and the "social network," a more serene space that will feel like you are floating above everyone else.

Ocean noise, chemical pollution, climate change and sea level rise are words that often appear in the news. But these important concepts can be hard to make sense of—or to understand at all.

That's where artist Jenny Kendler comes in. Her new exhibit, Other of Pearl, confronts these pressing environmental issues in ways that feel more accessible with stirring whale songs, incredible pearl sculptures, a crystalline whale eye cast with human tears, and more. You can see these powerful works for free on Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm now through October on Governors Island. 

Seven intimate, delicate works are displayed in the cavernous, subterranean magazine of historic Fort Jay, a star-shaped fortification built on Governors Island between 1775 and 1776. 

Watermark Bar has transformed into the tropically-themed Watermark Beach. Expect a full season of fun at Watermark Beach, which will be gussied up for the warm weather with Instagram-ready tiki decor, seasonal drinks and twinkling lights for when the party stretches into the nighttime hours.

And this summer, the al fresco experience will introduce new cabanas and a curated new cocktail program, in addition to large-format Cooler Packages, which will allow guests to have their canned and bottled drinks ready on ice as they visit. 

Lincoln Center is gearing up to launch the third annual Summer for the City festival. From June 12 through August 10, New Yorkers will get to attend over 200 free or choose-what-you-pay events that span a variety of topics, genres and  locations.

You can read through the entire calendar right here but standouts include virtual reality experience The Dream Machine, which features five distinct game-like interactive performances; a night of opera and drag with two superstar queens from RuPaul's Drag Race, Monét X Change and Sapphira Cristál; and a silent disco night as part of India Week with DJ Rajuju Brown. 

New York City offers up plenty of cool outdoor options for your yoga flow but this one might just take the cake: join the Seaport Museum for a free yoga session on the second Sunday of the month on the deck of the historic 1885 tall ship Wavertree.

Running now through October 13 at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets), the 60-minute practice is open to those of all skill levels between ages 12 and up. Each session is sprinkled with enlightening information about the vessel itself as well as thoughtful playlists "developed to reflect the serenity of the water and lively seasonal themes." (For example, July will feature a summery water-themed playlist.)

Make sure to register in advance and bring your own yoga mat! Upcoming dates are July 14, August 11, September 8, and October 13.

Smorgasburg, the food bazaar spectacular, is back for 2024 with dozens of great local vendors across four locations.

In fact, with more than 70 vendors, it's the largest Smorgasburg lineup since 2018! Vendors this year will serve up fragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine, and lots more.

Smorgasburg WTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays. Each location is open from 11am-6pm and operates weekly through October. The outlier is The Shed location; it'll run from July 3-August 22 from 11am-6pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Little Island, the beautiful 2.4-acre elevated park that sits above the Hudson River on Manhattan's west side, is offering a lineup of star-studded performances this summer. Performances will kick off on June 1 and close out on September 22, spanning the realms of music, dance, theater, opera, comedy, jazz, pop and funk. 

Just as exciting is the debut of The Glade, a brand new cocktail lounge opening on the island that will be offering a selection of beers, wines, cocktails and mocktails to be enjoyed anywhere throughout the park.

This free outdoor French film festival is back with a sports-themed lineup in honor of the Olympics in Paris this summer. The festival is hosted by Villa Albertine, and this year’s edition features 11 French films with English subtitles across Manhattan and Brooklyn parks. Expect a mix of classic and contemporary movies, all on the theme of “Sports on Film.”

Here's the July schedule for Films on the Green:
— July 5, Seward Park: Marinette by Virginie Verrier
— July 12, Seward Park: Air of Paris by Marcel Carné
— July 19, Riverside Park, Pier I: Les Cinq Tulipes Rouges by Jean Stelli – U.S. premiere
— July 26, Riverside Park, Pier I: The Golden Ball by Cheik Doukouré

This 27-year-old singer-songwriter from Vermont has been taking the world by storm since his song "Stick Season" went viral in 2022. Since releasing his album of the same name, the folk-leaning musician has been touring staggeringly sized venues, including Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and Hollywood Bowl in L.A.

It's no surprise, then, that Kahan is headlining two nights at Madison Square Garden on July 15 and 16.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2024. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses. 

FAD—which stands for Fashion, Art and Design—takes over different venues with a horde of independent vendors and creators. Admission is free and dogs are welcome!

Here's the schedule for July:

June-October (third weekend of the month): Governors Island Market
July 13-14: Summer Market at Empire Stores in Dumbo
July 27-28: Summer Market at The Invisible Dog Art Center

Turns out, pickleball was not just a passing fad.

Doubling down on the popularity of the sport, CityPickle's 14-court pickleball installation is back at Central Park's Wollman Rink. The experience offers players of all skill levels the chance to reserve courts or partake in open play sessions between 8am and 9pm daily. 

A season of incredible shows is before us at Forest Hills Stadium for its 2024 season.

Expect a variety of genres on the stage, from EDM to rock to folk and lots more. Among the performers are Pitbull, Tiesto, Kings of Leon, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Avett Brothers, and The National with more to be announced.

Tickets are available through AXS; head to the Forest Hills Stadium website to make your purchase and find more information.

Hopping on a boat and cruising New York's natural harbor is one of the best parts about summers in the city, but there is so much about the history of our waters that the majority of New Yorkers isn't aware of—including the existence of a plethora of abandoned islands dotting the East River, many of which serve as safe havens for local wildlife.

One brand new boat tour wants to teach New Yorkers about these hidden islands by actually taking them there. The Urban Naturalist Tour: Abandoned Islands of the East River is organized by Classic Harbor Line and will depart from Chelsea Pier 62 at 6:45pm on seven Sundays throughout the summer. These tours offer a chance to admire wildlife and learn about NYC's history.

Tickets to the Urban Naturalist tour start at $124 per person.

Public spaces come alive with free outdoor theater in New York City in the summer, and especially with the plays of William Shakespeare.

The top destination, of course, is usually the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. That series is on hold this year for long-needed Delacorte renovations, but luckily you can still enjoy plays by Shakespeare and other classical masters elsewhere in the city: in Harlem and Brooklyn, at Battery and Riverside Parks, even in a Lower East Side parking lot. You might be surprised by the magic that can come from wonderful words, inventive actors and a mild summer breeze.

Here's our full guide to outdoor theater this summer.

The city’s most beloved free summer concert series is back with a stellar line-up featuring nearly 85 free and benefit shows in Central Park, plus neighborhood parks across the five boroughs.  

The 2024 SummerStage lineup includes T-Pain, Snail Mail, Madison Cunningham, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Metropolitan Opera, Counting Crows, Ghostface Killah, The Gaslight Anthem, Trixie Mattel and Amanda Lepore, and more.

This season is all about celebrating incredible music from around the world with artists like The Aussie BBQ, Colombian music star Fonseca and Spain’s captivating new flamenco singer Israel Fernández, Sidonie and the Balkan Paradise Orchestra.  

All shows are free except the benefit concerts. Here's the full schedule and ticket info.

TSQ Live offers a series of 80 free, open-air performances all over Times Square. It's basically a giant, free outdoor event festival with programs presented by the likes of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Soul Summit and more. 

Expect dance workshops by Ailey Extension, weekly DJ sets, and a new series called Street Lab that will feature pop-up activations for entire families focusing on all things art. This year's full lineup can be found right here.

The Brooklyn Flea is undoubtedly one of the most popular flea markets to hit in NYC if you're looking for the best selection of throwback wares and records.

The Brooklyn Flea DUMBO is now underway on the cobblestone streets of Pearl Plaza, where it spotlights roughly more than 40 vendors that display their goods beneath the Manhattan Bridge. Brooklyn Flea also operates in Chelsea year-round on Saturdays and Sundays, 8am-4pm.  

We certainly have our pick of options as there are more than 60 public swimming pools scattered around New York’s five boroughs. Here's our comprehensive list of the squeaky clean—and totally free—swimming pools in NYC.

Several of New York’s finest hotels offer day passes for their rooftop pools, most of which include chaises and cabanas for lounging in addition to a full-service bar. The combination of two of New York's favorite things—swimming pools and rooftop bars—creates an elevated summer oasis worth throwing down some cash for. Make sure to cross one, if not all, of these pool off your things to do in the summer bucket list.