Photo: Little Island
NYC’s newest park, Little Island, is hosting more than 460 artists in a month-long marathon of more than 160 FREE performances starting August 11.
The performances are in the park’s 687-seat outdoor ampitheater, dubbed “The Amph”, in the Playground, and in various lawns around the fabulous floating park, on the Hudson River at West 13th Street.
Performances in the theater require an RSVP for admission, others are open to all park-goers.
Note that because of Little Island’s popularity, timed reservations are required after Noon.
Collected under the banner “NYC FREE,” the festival spans music, dance, poetry and comedy, and aims to “celebrate the creativity of New York City’s artists and the resilient spirit of all its people,” according to an announcement.
Featured artists include Ali Stroker, Caleb Teicher, Conrad Tao, Georgina Pazcoguin, Hope Boykin, Larry Owens, Matthew Whitaker, Ballet Hispánico, Robert Garland, Misty Copeland, Ronald K. Brown, Michelle Buteau, Jenny Lin and Adam Tendler are among the curators and artists included in the festival.
NYCOTC insider tip:
If you can’t get free tickets to performances in The Amph, you can still hear the music from nearby lawns and overlooks. But you won’t be able to see the dancing.
Photo: Little Island
NYC FREE Performance Highlights include:
A performance from Broadway’s Ali Stoker; “Stare Decisis (To stand by things decided),” curated by American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland and Dance Theatre of Harlem choreographer Robert Garland; and a new commission from composer Devonté Hynes, performed by String Orchestra of Brooklyn.
ALL ARTS artist-in-residence Matthew Whitaker will perform as part of “Music in the Glade” Aug. 25 at 6:30pm.
The NYC FREE festival begins with a presentation of John Cage’s 1952 work “4’33”” on Aug. 11 at 11am, performed by students of Third Street Music School Settlement, led by pianist Adam Tendler. The performance includes a moment of silence for New Yorkers who died or who lost a parent or guardian during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the festival announcement.
The showcase “JazzWomen!,” curated by drummer-composer Shirazette Tinnin, closes out the festival Sept. 5 in the Amph.
There’s also tap dancing, poetry reading, and late night comedy shows and a DJ playing mixed sounds on weekends.
With 460 performances, we can’t list them all -
Schedule for Week One, August 11-15
Schedule for Week Two, August 18-22
Schedule for Week Three, August 23-29
Schedule for Week Four, September 1-5
“NYC FREE” coincides with the end of the statewide NY PopsUp program, launched Feb. 20 at the Javits Center.
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Photo: Little Island
Timed Entry Reservation Information
Every day through September 30, timed entry reservations are offered every half-hour starting at 12:00 through the remainder of the day. Once you enter the park, there is no time limit to your stay.
- 6:00 am to 12:00 pm: No reservations are required for entry. We will monitor the park for crowding and safety at these times.
- 12:00 pm and on: Free timed entry reservations required for entry.
Timed entry reservations are released on a rolling basis.
Due to limited inventory, reservations may not be changed or exchanged for other dates.
Children ages three and up need a reservation.
Please arrive within 30 minutes of your ticket reservation. Tickets may be printed out or shown from your mobile phone.
Little Island is open rain or shine.
From time to time, the park will close due to nearby lightning strikes and other severe weather occurrences. Visitors will be asked to evacuate the island during these times. In case of inclement weather, please check our website and social media channels for updates.
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