Feel the Beat: Free Summer Music Fills the West Side!

Summertime… and there’s free music in the air all over the West Side! Whatever your taste in tunes, there’s sure to be something that hits the right note in an eclectic program that encompasses everything from a Shakespeare musical to disco and funk, salsa dancing to story times with live music for the kids.

Most of the events are free – so there’s no excuse not to head out into the sunshine and bust a move or just settle back on a picnic blanket and enjoy live music al fresco. Have we whetted your appetite? Here’s a taste of what’s in store this summer…

Worldwide Plaza is hosting a summer concert series on select Thursdays until mid-September, with performances ranging from tango music, four-part harmony singing, alt country and even Broadway showstoppers. More details here .

There’s a hectic and eclectic program of events planned in Hudson River Park this summer — from jazz and blues concerts to salsa dancing. And if you’re not interested in music, there’s plenty of more practical fun on the menu too! The full summer 2024 lineup is at hudsonriverpark.org/events.

There are more than 200 free or pay-what-you-want events in the Lincoln Center ‘s 2024 Summer for the City lineup, which kicks off on June 12 and runs through to August 10 in an outdoor space that has been transformed into a welcoming oasis. Find out more here .

Bella Abzug Park ‘s popular Vinyl Nights are back, and running from 6-9pm on select Thursdays throughout the summer and into September (Friday if it rains). Bring your boogie shoes and get down to sounds from NYC dance, music, club and DJ culture. Presented by Rebecca Lynn with Operator Emz, DJ Misbehaviour, DJ Woof, MoneyMike & Raw Q and Friends. More info here .

Learn to dance like a pro at Pier i (70th St) in June, with Salsa, Cha-Cha and Bachata lessons and group social dances led by master teachers from the Piel Canela Dance and Music School, featuring DJ Ray Colon. Sundays in June, 6-9:30pm.

This year’s TSQ LIVE lineup features more than 80 free, open-air early evening events across two stages in Times Square — from DJ sets and live concerts to dance workshops and art activities. Get more details here .

Gadzooks! They’re bringing Shakespeare to Hudson Yards this month. Enjoy the Bard as you’ve never seen him before in a bilingual musical adaptation of The Comedy of Errors , performed by The Public Theater’s mobile unit. Featuring contemporary rhythms from across Latin America this is a fast-paced, 90-minute sunset show (with a couple of matinees in the mix) – but get there early, as general public seating is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. More here .

And the Garment District is getting in on the act too. On Wednesdays through September 25 from noon to 2pm, Broadway plazas between 39th and 40th Streets will be hosting a rhythm-filled array of concerts, including classic rock, R&B, jazz and even electric violin — with the added bonus of free Renegade Lemonade at the Broadway Squeeze stand on Thursdays from 12 – 2 pm through August 29, all courtesy of Garment District Alliance. More here .

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