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After streaming their pandemic performances last year, SummerStage is back with a full calendar of in-person shows, set to begin on June 17. Headliners include Patti Smith, George Clinton, and Sun Ra Arkestra, who played in the first SummerStage in 1986. The shows will run through September across four city venues: Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and The Coney Island Amphitheater.
Here are some highlights from the free shows:
June 17: Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis
June 19: Summer of Soul screening with Questlove and Friends at Marcus Garvey Park
July 17: Gloria Gaynor at Coney Island with DJ Stormin Norman
July 24: Sun Ra Arkestra and Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty
July 31: The Originals
August 1: Tito Nieves
August 8: Met Opera Summer Recital
August 28: Charlie Parker with Strings: The Donald Harrison Quartet and the Harlem Symphony Orchestra at Marcus Garvey Park
September 19: Patti Smith and her band
August 28: Charlie Parker with Strings: The Donald Harrison Quartet and the Harlem Symphony Orchestra at Marcus Garvey Park
There will also be a series of benefit concerts that charge a fee of around $50-$65. Those will include: Machine Gun Kelly on September 13, Dawes with Erin Rae on September 17, Lake Street Dive on August 24, Indigo Girls with Ani DiFranco on September 21 and Blue Note Jazz Festival at SummerStage featuring Chris Botti (June 20), George Clinton (July 24), and Galactic (July 11).
COVID protocols will be enforced, including limited capacity, mask-wearing at all times, and seating in “pod sections” to encourage social distancing. Attendees will have to provide proof of vaccine or negative COVID test.
Tickets are required for all shows and due to the limited capacity, you’ll want to keep an eye out for ticket requests to be released online. Those open up three weeks before each show on Mondays at Noon. If you don’t get one or prefer to watch from the comfort of your own home, most shows will be streamed live at SummerStageAnywhere.org.