Forest Hills Stadium might not host any concerts this summer following permit issues

For decades, Forest Hills Stadium has been one of the few major music venues in Queens. The destination has also made a name for itself for hosting some of our favorite festivals, including 88Rising's AAPI-centered "Head in the Clouds" and the queer-focused "All Things Go."

All that revelry might come to an abrupt end this summer, though, following a still ongoing battle between the arena and its neighbors, according to the New York Post. 

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The paper reports that, as a result of a feud with neighboring West Side Tennis Club and the Forest Hills Garden Corporation, the city was forced to deny new sound amplification permits to the arena.

Specifically, Forest Hills Garden Corporation "denied the city access to a series of private roads surrounding the venue." As a result, the NYPD would not be able to "manage public safety around the stadium," indirectly coercing officials to deny the passes since the "NYPC would be unable to manage public safety around the stadium." 

According to an NYPD Legal Bureau letter of notice seen by the New York Post, the arena has also been dealing with lawsuits from "angry residents who said their lives have been upended by increasingly loud concerts blaring in their backyard."

What that all means is that the 13 shows currently on the schedule for this summer will not be able to be mounted... despite what the stadium itself is announced. 

"Forest Hills Stadium is moving forward with our 2025 concert schedule as planned and our permitting timeline is on its standard schedule," the arena wrote on X. "As happens every season, the vocal NIMBY minority of Forest Hills Gardens are attempting to roadblock yet another enjoyable season of music."

Among the several concerts that the stadium has lined up in the upcoming months is a show by Bloc Party, another featuring PHISH, plus The Black Keys, Leon Bridges and othermore. 

It is worth noting that, in a statement sent to Time Out New York, the stadium's attorney, Akiva Shapiro, questioned the validity of the Post's reports, claiming that the stadium hasn't received any such information.

"Just last month Mayor Adams personally tweeted his support for the stadium as a thriving cultural hub and a significant economic engine in Queens," reads the statement. "Neither the stadium’s owner nor operator have received any communication from the NYPD concerning sound permits, which have always been granted to the stadium upon request, including as recently as this past October. Because nothing has changed in the last five months, because the NYPD has not raised any concerns with the stadium directly and because the city would risk significant liability if it were to abruptly shut the stadium down, we can only assume that no such final decision has been made. Although we trust that these rumors are unfounded and question where they are coming from, we find them extremely troubling and are demanding answers from the highest levels of the Adams administration.”

In interviews the Post conducted with neighbors around Forest Hills—a mostly quiet residential area that resembles the suburbs—people complained about cracking walls, vibrating houses and the venue's "unsustainable growth" after it ramped up the frequency and noise levels of its concerts post-pandemic.

“The decision to deny Forest Hills Stadium the necessary permits to host its summer concert series is nothing short of a travesty—one that will have severe economic and cultural consequences for Forest Hills and beyond," said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. "For more than a decade, Forest Hills Stadium has been a catalyst for economic growth, a steward of our community, and a world-class venue that has brought joy to thousands."

Forest Hills Stadium originally opened in 1923 and was the former home to the U.S. Open. Through the years, the venue went on to host some of the most iconic artists of the 20th century, including the Beatles, Bob Dylan and many others. Since then, though, sound systems have gotten louder and the frequency of shows mounted on site has been growing. 

If the stadium and the tennis club come to an agreement before the start of the summer season, the shows could still go on. We'll cross our fingers that everything works out.