Brass Festival

New Breed Brass Band fuses NOLA’s fertile brass band tradition with Caribbean, hip-hop, and modern R&B in the vein of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The explosive group makes music by and for the Crescent City’s next generation: joyful, vital and unstoppable. New Breed Brass Band is led by drummer Jenard Andrews, son of Tremé trumpet legend James Andrews and nephew of New Orleans scene lynchpin Trombone Shorty. Under Trombone Shorty’s tutelage a new sound was born, and audiences took notice.

The band has toured North America and Europe and opened for The Fray, Blackalicious and Dr. John. With the band’s debut album, 2023’s Made In New Orleans, New Breed is hewing a new path for 21st century second-lines, and everyone’s invited to join the procession.

Aberdeen is a Brooklyn-based horn band known for its soulful melody-driven instrumental arrangements. Aberdeen's music is about community; a large collective of musicians featuring Allison Philips on trumpet, Olivia Hughart, Jared Yee, Mackenzie McCarthy, Brian Plautz & Stephen Chen on saxes, Jacob Melsha & Jasmi Perales on trombones, Shubh Saran on guitar, Ronnie Lanzilotta on bass and Ross Pederson on drums. Aberdeen's albums Downpour and Held Together showcase their energetic, massive, one-of-a-kind sound.

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, the award-winning Brass Queens are a female-led brass band featuring all-female horns with a sound that sits right at the intersection of the Big Apple and the Big Easy. Their music is deeply inspired by and pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while injecting the upbeat, multifaceted energy of their New York home into each performance. Brass Queens tour regularly across the country and internationally, increasing the visibility of female musicians in the industry.

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone". 

Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.

Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.

Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.