Patti Smith, George Clinton, ‘Summer of Soul,’ Many More Headline New York’s SummerStage 2021 Season Lineup

New York’s City Parks Foundation returns to live, in-person performances this summer with the announcement of the shows planned for the 2021 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival. SummerStage shows will be returning to Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and The Coney Island Amphitheater. Performances will be live-streamed on SummerStageAnywhere.org, artist approval and rights permitting.

The full lineup appears below, but highlights include Patti Smith, George Clinton, Lake Street Dive, Antibalas, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and a free, outdoor screening of the Questlove-directed “Summer of Soul” film, which documents the legendary 1969 concerts that took place in that park, including Sly & the Family Stone. The special advance screening will be followed by live performances at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park featuring Questlove and surprise guests.

SummerStage will be operating at modified production levels and performances will initially be held at a reduced capacity in all of our venues to abide by social distancing requirements. Free tickets are required for entry to every free SummerStage show this season. Ticket pod requests must be made in advance through our online entry form. Forms will be available three (3) weeks prior to each show. Ticket request forms will open on Mondays at 12:00PM ET on the show specific webpage at SummerStage.org. Requesting a ticket does not guarantee entry, attendees who are selected at random will be emailed their ticket confirmation in advance of the show. Sign up for the SummerStage newsletter here for show information and ticket reservation reminders closer to show dates. As New York State and City safety guidelines for public gatherings are rapidly changing, City Parks Foundation will frequently update our audiences on venue safety protocols. Details will be shared on our website and on our Twitter and Facebook pages in advance of each show. For the most current guidelines, show updates, and additional venue information and restrictions, please visit cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage-safety

Capital One is the festival’s multi-year title sponsor (Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage) and the official bank and credit card of the festival. Supporting Sponsors include iStar, Union Beer Distributors, Sierra Nevada, Bell’s Brewery, Wolffer Estate Cider, Archer Roose Wines, Two Robbers Seltzer, Con Edison’s Arts Al Fresco Series, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

For the most up-to-date lineup, follow SummerStage on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and visit SummerStage.org for festival information.