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Find your bliss as Lincoln Center's outdoor spaces transform

From June 12—August 10, our outdoor campus transforms into a welcoming oasis where neighbors and New Yorkers from across the city can gather, relax, participate in performances, enjoy expanded food options, read a new book, create art, and even play outdoor games! The outdoor spaces are designed by Visual Director Clint Ramos and inspired by flora and fauna of the American prairie—evoking the ideals of Life, Liberty, and Happiness—with greenery and plants by Donyale Werle Design. Explore spaces & venues »

This is your place to BE this summer

CELEBRATE new commissions for the first time

In July and August, the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center performs the North American premiere of Huang Ruo’s City of Floating Sounds, an interactive work that fuses music and technology with a mobile app-enabled soundscape and live performance, and a world premiere by Hannah Kendall, inspired by scripture from Job:27 and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. Through August 9, experience the next generation of experimental canon with this summer's category-defying Living Music Underground series, curated by Nadia Sirota.

PARTICIPATE at the intersection of arts and civic engagement

Join us for our Civic Saturdays performance series, designed to unite friends and strangers in the spirit of shared community, including the Civic Speakeasy hosted by poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne. In August, our longtime partner, Voices of a People's History, hosts The People Speak—and Sing!, a performance of songs and readings that speak to the themes of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. On August 10, pop culture meets activism with the Ruidosa Fest, the Latine-led international feminist platform, with a full day of lectures, live music, and a late-night silent disco.

SING and DANCE with the return of long-time favorites

NYC's largest outdoor dance floor with a now-iconic 10-foot disco ball shines bright as the centerpiece of Summer for the City with FREE social dance nights and silent discos every week. Free family shows for all ages, including storytimes, kid-friendly concerts, and dance workshops are offered all summer long. Jazz at Lincoln Center returns with Jazz Underground, featuring a selection of rising star instrumentalists and vocalists that delight audiences at the underground pop-up bar and performance stage. Plus, much-loved performances—globalFEST, BAAND Together, Deaf Broadway, and so much more—come back for an encore!

Series & programs

Plan Your Visit

Visual Director Clint Ramos transforms Lincoln Center's outdoor campus with multiple open-air public spaces—welcoming all New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy throughout their day, whether a show is on the agenda or not! Take a spin on The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza with a 10-foot mega disco ball, read a book from PEN America's pop-up Little Library for Big Ideas at The Garden at Damrosch Park, or relax and play games at Hearst Plaza. Explore spaces & venues »

Campus map

Download the Summer for the City campus map here.

Summer venues & outdoor spaces

The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza

New York City's largest outdoor dance floor with a—now iconic—10-foot disco ball returns to Josie Robertson Plaza as the centerpiece of Summer for the City. Designed once again by Visual Director Clint Ramos, this year's dance floor is inspired by flaura and fauna of the American prairie, setting the ambiance for the joyful and popular Social Dance and Silent Disco series. Don't miss New York City's hottest outdoor summer dance parties that are sure to satisfy any dancer's taste, including nights devoted to salsa, Lindy hop, disco, country, Hip-Hop, freestyle, ballroom, and much more.

Damrosch Park

The 2,500-seat amphitheater plays host to headlining events as part of India Week, The Outdoor Film Series presented in collaboration with Film at Lincoln Center, the 20th Annual NYC in C, Brasil Summerfest, a meditative concert adaptation of The Ritual of Breath, a concert by Steel Pulse, and dozens of the most celebrated names in music, dance, and theater—all FREE, all summer long.

The Underground at Jaffe Drive

Also designed by Visual Director Clint Ramos, The Underground—a speakeasy-inspired performance space now expanded in size—returns this summer. Tucked away on Jaffe Drive, under Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza, the pop-up stage and bar hosts FREE comedy shows with NYLaughs, jazz sets presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Living Music Underground series curated by Nadia Sirota.

Hearst Plaza

We invite visitors to enjoy the outdoor space of Hearst Plaza this summer, equipped with outdoor games and cafe seating with shade. Hearst Plaza hosts free performances for kids, teens, and families, pop-up events by Voices of a People's History, La Casita, Urban Bush Women's Haint Blu, a performance by Elite Pan Consortium, and so much more!

The Garden at Damrosch Park

Looking for a quiet place to unwind and relax while at Lincoln Center this summer? Stop by The Garden at Damrosch Park, a greenhouse-like retreat to chat, read a book from PEN America's pop-up Little Library for Big Ideas, escape the sun, and be zen. The space is filled with greenery and plants designed in collaboration with Donyale Werle Design. On Wednesday mornings and afternoons, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents arts-based storytimes for children, and Poet-in-Residence Mahogany L. Browne curates poetry & meditation events throughout the summer.

Indoor Venues

The general public is welcome to make use of the public space, facilities, and dining options at David Geffen Hall and the David Rubenstein Atrium. Select events are also held at Alice Tully Hall, the David H. Koch Theater, and the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Snacks at the Night Market at Damrosch Park

New this summer is the Lincoln Center Night Market, an outdoor food emporium open Wednesday–Sunday from 5:00–10:00 pm, featuring a wide range of cuisines at affordable prices including Jerrell's Betr Brgr serving 100% plant-based burgers; Maya's Snack Bar featuring Mexican dessert snacks; Harlem Seafood Soul with gourmet seafood and soul food; Japanese-style street food from Yakitori Totto; Manousheh serving traditional Lebanese street food; and authentic Mexican from Taqueria al Pastor. There will also be a tent with rotating food offerings that align with that week's programming. Joe Coffee will be available during the day. Additional vendors to be announced soon. Our permanent on-campus options will be open all summer as well!

Lincoln Center Night Market is made possible by CHASE
Additional Support for the Lincoln Center Night Market is provided by United Airlines
Community programming at Damrosch Park is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

Accessibility

Lincoln Center seeks to create a more inclusive experience and meet access needs for our audiences by providing a range of accommodations for all performances.

All venues include accessible seating, entrances and restrooms, and alternative entry for guests who are unable to stand in line due to a disability. ASL interpretation, audio description, live captioning, and haptics are integrated into dozens of performances.

KultureCity provides sensory-inclusion through a trained team, sensory bags, and a mobile sensory room, available for families and individuals who have sensory needs/non-visible disabilities. Guests can find the sensory bags, with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, and verbal cue cards, and mobile sensory room in Damrosch Park, with entrance on the north side of West 62nd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam, available Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 10pm, Wednesdays from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm, and Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm to 10pm.

Click here to explore accommodations for Summer for the City »

Health & Safety

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts ("LCPA") is committed to the safety of our visitors, performers, and employees. Our guidelines for events and performances at outdoor and indoor venues managed by LCPA when LCPA is the presenter can be found here.

How to Get Tickets to Summer for the City

There are three ways to get tickets to Summer for the City at Lincoln Center, depending on the venue and the programming. Please refer to the dedicated event page of the show you’d like to attend to confirm ticketing options.

Free General Admission

For free events, over half the venue capacity is aways available for General Admission. Just show up; no tickets needed! Entry to most Summer for the City performances and events is available for FREE via General Admission—first-come, first-served. Learn more »

Free Fast Track

In addition to General Admission, we’re offering a FREE Fast Track option for the majority of Summer for the City events held at Damrosch Park, The Dance Floor, The Underground at Jaffe Drive, Hearst Plaza, and the David Rubenstein Atrium, and other select venues.
• By booking Fast Track for events ahead of time, guests can access the Fast Track line at the venue which gives them priority entry to that event.
• While event admission is not guaranteed, Fast Track ticket holders will have priority over the General Admission line up until 10 minutes before show time (please note: show time for social dances on The Dance Floor is the start of the dance lesson). We recommend arriving an hour before show time to ensure entry into the event.
• Please check the event's dedicated web page to confirm if Fast Track is available for the performance you'd like to attend.
Learn more »

Choose-What-You-Pay

Tickets to most indoor events are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis; day-of general admission will not be offered for these shows. This includes Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center programs and the BAAND Together Dance Festival, among others. All Choose-What-You-Pay events have a suggested ticket price of $35 and the option to pay more or less. There is a $5 per ticket minimum. Learn more »

Box Office Hours

Call CenterCharge at 212-721-6500 from Monday–Saturday 10:00 am–8:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 pm–6:00 pm

Book in-person at the Alice Tully Hall box office (Broadway and 66th Street) or the David Geffen Hall Welcome Center from Monday–Saturday 10:00 am–6:00 pm and Sunday noon–6:00 pm.

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

Summer for the City 2023 has come to an end!
Thank you for joining us at the Ultimate New York Festival

In the summer of 1973, Bronx DJ Kool Herc set up a pair of turntables and a mixer to spin tunes at a backyard block party. Herc’s Back to School Jam is now commonly considered to be the birthplace of Hip-Hop. Fifty years later, the seismic impact of that show has completely redefined popular culture. From August 9–12, Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City honors the golden anniversary of that fateful night with a campus-wide celebration of the music, fashion, dance, poetry, and global cultural influence of Hip-Hop. Join us for live performances by Rakim, DJ J.PERIOD with Big Daddy Kane and more special guests, Brazilian performer Arthur Verocai hosted by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, outdoor dance parties and silent discos featuring the greatest DJs of past and present, a trap choir experience, and participatory family events.

Explore more

Thanks to Our Supporters

Park Lane New York is Lincoln Center's preferred accommodations for Summer for the City

New York State and I Love New York are the lead civic partners of Hip-Hop Week at Lincoln Center

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Find your bliss as Lincoln Center's outdoor spaces transform

This is your place to BE this summer

CELEBRATE new commissions for the first time

PARTICIPATE at the intersection of arts and civic engagement

SING and DANCE with the return of long-time favorites

Be the first to know!

Thank you

Series & programs

Social Dance

Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center

Silent Disco

Kids, Teens, and Families

BAAND Together Dance Festival

The Dream Machine Experience

The Outdoor Film Series

The Art of Wellbeing

Civic Saturdays

Comedy Underground

Jazz Underground

Living Music Underground

India Week

Urban Bush Women's 40th Anniversary

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Summer venues & outdoor spaces

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The Garden at Damrosch Park

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Snacks at the Night Market at Damrosch Park

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Fast Track reservations opening December 2 at noon

Fast Track reservations opening December 9 at noon

Choose-What-You-Pay at Summer for the City

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Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

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