The 21 Essential Outdoor Summer Concerts

This is one of our favorite seasons in New York.

We don’t mean summer. We mean outdoor music season.

Whether you’re Upper East, East Village or Willie B., you’re likely only a stone’s throw away from some excellent music.

With so many to choose from, we took the liberty of rounding up the 21 essential outdoor musical happenings, from symphonies in the park to a surfin’ safari with fireworks.

Grab a blanket. Grab a gal. Happy listening.

For those who know what “supermurgitroid” means
Red Hook Jazz Festival at Urban Meadows, June 12 & June 19

For overtures under the stars
The New York Philharmonic in Central Park, June 15 & June 16

For post-punks with day jobs
Violent Femmes + Kristin Hersch at the Prospect Park Bandshell, June 18

For singing along to the chorus
Halls & Oates at Bethel Woods, June 18

For polishing up the wingtips
The Sounds of Sinatra at Forest Park, June 19

For the philanthropist that drove a Trans Am in ‘83
City Parks Foundation Gala Concert in Central Park featuring Bon Jovi, June 20

For the dilettante on a budget
The Metropolitan Opera Summer Series in Central Park, begins June 22

For the karaoke enthusiast
Journey + The Doobie Brothers at Bethel Woods, June 24

For dusting off your cowboy hat
Dolly Parton at the Forest Hills Stadium, June 25

For taking advantage of NY’s increasingly liberal weed laws
Ziggy Marley at the Coney Island Amphitheater, June 25

For anyone who still gets a little groovy
Paul Simon at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, June 30 & July 1

For those who love the sweet scent of nostalgia
The Beach Boys at the Coney Island Amphitheater, July 4

For the good ‘ol boys still bangin’ on the dashboard
Bob Dylan at Forest Hills Stadium, July 8

For alt-rock alums who think brooding equals bliss
Jane’s Addiction + Dinosaur Jr. at the Coney Island Amphitheater, July 15

For tenderhearted beer guzzlers
Norah Jones at Ommegang Brewery, July 21

For fighting the power
Public Enemy, Ice-T & Naughty by Nature at the Coney Island Amphitheater, July 29

For Brooklyn hip-hop survivalists who are Cool Like Dat
Digable Planets + Camp Lo in Prospect Park, July 30

For saying “I don’t know what to call it, but I like it”
Beirut at the Prospect Park Bandshell, August 2

For people who suffer from Soul Train flashbacks
Temptations Revue in Forest Park, August 4

For the man not afraid to sport satin and sequins
Kool & the Gang at Coney Island Amphitheater, August 12

For anyone hiding a skull tattoo
Black Sabbath at the Jones Beach Theater, August 17

Image via Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

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