Picnic Performances
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. This summer, enjoy extraordinary artists and events in collaboration with a wide array of New York's cultural institutions.
2024 Season
Jazzmobile: Sarah Vaughan Centennial
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Michael Olatuja & Lagos Pepper Soup
World Music Institute: Natu Camara + Samir LanGus
Jalopy Theatre: Cristina Vane, Slavic Soul Party!, and Guachinangos
Joe's Pub: Jaime Lozano and The Familia
Asian American Arts Alliance: Vijay Iyer Trio
Accordions Around the World: Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Afro Dominicano, Reed Luplau
New York City Opera: La Bohème
Emerging Music Festival: Day 1
Emerging Music Festival: Day 2
Jalopy Theatre: Michael Daves Quintet ft. Tony Trishka, Yacouba Sissoko, Terrell King
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Arturo O'Farrill and Afro-Latin-Jazz Orchestra
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Magos Herrera featuring The Knights
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Champe-Soukous Collective
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ndlovu Youth choir
Joe's Pub: Shaina Taub
New York City Opera: From Vienna to Broadway
New York City Opera: Alessandro Lora in concert
Accordions Around the World
Roulette Intermedium: Immanuel Wilkins, 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird
The Town Hall: Martha Redbone Roots Project
Classical Theatre of Harlem: Young, Gifted, and Black
New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville
New York City Opera: Pride in the Park
Emerging Music Festival: Day 1
Emerging Music Festival: Day 2
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble
Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Broadway Sinfonietta
Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Hot Sardines with Nellie McKay
Greenwich House Music School: Mireya + Alea
New York City Opera: La Traviata
Habibi Festival with Joe's Pub
The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage
New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Summer Camargo Sextet
Accordion Festival
New York City Opera: Pride in the Park
Joe’s Pub: Mykal Kilgore
New York City Opera: Carmen
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Knights
Greenwich House Music School: Riley Mulherkar and Ella Bric
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Young Stars of Jazz
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet
New York City Opera: Now That's What I Call Opera!
New York City Opera: Rigoletto
Classical Theatre of Harlem: A Harlem Dream + Langston in Harlem
National Sawdust: Allison Loggins-Hull’s Diametrically Composed
On the lawn
For Picnics, Bryant Park staff lends out hundreds of free blankets and provides ample bistro chairs. Food and drink is also available to purchase from local vendors. No registration is required and there are no lines to enter: it’s as easy as a walk in the park.
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.
Featured Vendors:
Thursday, September 5:
- Panda Eats World - Street food of Northern China
- Chaat Dog - Desi American street food
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero - Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
- Stop Drop N Roll - Gourmet egg rolls
- Bel-Fries - Artisan fries and sauces
Friday, September 6:
- Chic Treatz - Confectionary delights
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero - Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
- Enfes - Handmade Turkish food
- Bel-Fries - Artisan fries and sauces
Thursday, September 12:
- Charles Pan-Fried Chicken - Harlem's finest fried chicken
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Stop Drop N Roll - Gourmet egg rolls
- Pinche Vegana - Modern, vegan Mexican
Friday, September 13:
- Chocolate on Tap: Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero: Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
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".
Find jugglers, hula hoops, giant Jenga, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events.
We love dogs, but dog urine can leave the lawn with bald spots. Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but please do not bring dogs 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.