Free 2025 NYC Summer Concerts and Outdoor Music Festivals for Families

Start the summer with free musical entertainment at Live at the Archway in Dumbo. Photo by Noemie Trusty.
Start the summer with free musical entertainment at Live at the Archway in Dumbo. Photo by Noemie Trusty.
5/16/25 - By Drew Kristofik

Free concerts and music festivals are a summer staple in NYC, and there are always loads of great performances to enjoy. We've rounded up all the best free concerts in New York City this June, July, and August, so this list is guaranteed to keep the kids grooving all summer long.

There are summer concerts in the parks, playgrounds, piers, and plazas from Manhattan to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens, so scroll, click, and set reminders so you don't miss your favorites.

Beloved annual summer concert series, like Sounds at Sunset in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bryant Park's Picnic Performances, SummerStage, and BRIC: Celebrate Brooklyn are all on the schedule, and we have a little something for the whole gamut of musical tastes, from jazz to rock, opera, folk, hip-hop, and classical.

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Places featured in this article:


Central Park - Naumburg Bandshell

Pier 84 at Hudson River Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park

96th Street Tennis Courts in Riverside Park

Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens

Hudson Yards - Public Square and Gardens

Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza

David Geffen Hall, LeFrak Lobby

Hearst Plaza at Lincoln Center,

David Geffen Hall, LeFrak Lobby

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC)

David Geffen Hall, LeFrak Lobby

Hudson River Park - Pier 76

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.