Concerts & Events in New York, New York

Midtown around Times Square covers the densest concentration of major venues in the country — 41 Broadway theaters running eight shows a week between West 41st and West 54th, Madison Square Garden directly above Penn Station, Radio City Music Hall on Sixth Avenue, the Beacon Theatre on Broadway and 74th up at the Upper West Side edge, and Hudson Yards anchoring the far west side with the Shed performing arts venue. Dinner reservations near Times Square book solid on show nights — restaurant row on West 46th between Eighth and Ninth handles the pre-theater rush, usually with 90-minute table turns. The 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, W, A, C, E, and 7 trains all converge in the area, making it the most transit-accessible event district in the city.

The East Village and Lower East Side run the indie club circuit south of 14th Street. Mercury Lounge on Houston is the proving-ground room where indie bands play their first New York show, with a 250-capacity that has launched careers since 1993. Bowery Ballroom on Delancey is the next tier up at 575 capacity. Webster Hall on East 11th, just over the border into the East Village, books mid-size touring acts. Pianos and Arlene's Grocery on Ludlow keep the smaller indie circuit running. Cover charges run from free to thirty dollars. The F train at Delancey-Essex, the L at First and Third Avenue, and the 6 at Astor Place all serve the neighborhood, with dive bars and late-night food spots open on every block.

Williamsburg and Bushwick in north Brooklyn run the warehouse and indie venue circuit that defines the borough's live music scene. Brooklyn Steel in East Williamsburg is the 1,800-capacity flagship — repurposed from an actual steel fabrication facility, it books the indie and alternative tours that fall between Bowery Ballroom and Terminal 5. Music Hall of Williamsburg on North 6th is the 550-capacity sister venue with the same booking team. Elsewhere on Kent Avenue in Bushwick programs a main floor, basement, and rooftop. House of Yes on Wyckoff is the immersive party venue with circus performers, themed nights, and 4 am close. The L train runs from Manhattan straight into the heart of the neighborhood, with the J/M/Z also reaching Bushwick.

Harlem covers Manhattan north of 110th Street and runs on jazz heritage and Black cultural institutions. The Apollo Theater on West 125th Street has booked legendary names since 1934 — Amateur Night on Wednesday continues to launch careers, and the touring schedule programs major acts year-round. The Cotton Club's modern incarnation on West 125th near 12th Avenue runs jazz dinners and live programming. Smaller jazz rooms like Smoke Jazz Club on Broadway and 105th and Minton's Playhouse on West 118th keep the small-room jazz tradition active. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture programs talks and performances on Malcolm X Boulevard. The 2, 3, A, B, C, and D trains all serve the neighborhood from Midtown in under 20 minutes.

Greenwich Village runs the comedy and jazz capital of the country along MacDougal, Bleecker, and the surrounding blocks. The Comedy Cellar on MacDougal is the institution — three rooms across the block, all programming nightly with rotating sets from working comics and frequent drop-ins from established headliners working out new material. Blue Note on West 3rd books the bigger jazz names in two sets a night. Village Vanguard on Seventh Avenue South has been running nightly jazz since 1935. Webster Hall just to the east handles mid-size touring rock. (Le) Poisson Rouge on Bleecker books an eclectic mix of jazz, classical, indie, and electronic. The West 4th Street station serves the A, B, C, D, E, F, and M trains.

Queens runs two distinct event corridors. Forest Hills in central Queens is home to Forest Hills Stadium — a 14,000-capacity outdoor amphitheater that hosted the US Open tennis through 1977 and now books major summer touring acts from May through September. The neighborhood around the stadium is residential and quiet, with the E, F, M, R, and 7 trains all accessible from nearby. Long Island City along the East River runs MoMA PS1's warm-weather Warm Up parties, the Knockdown Center in Maspeth for warehouse shows, and Brooklyn Bowl Queens. Citi Field in Flushing handles Mets home games and stadium concerts. The 7 train runs from Times Square out to Flushing in about 30 minutes.

January is cold and quiet, which is exactly when NYC Winter Restaurant Week arrives — a three-week prix-fixe promotion across more than 600 restaurants. Knicks, Rangers, and Nets home games are in full swing at the Garden and Barclays. Broadway is mid-season. Outdoor skating at Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Wollman Rink in Central Park, and the LeFrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park is all open daily.

NYC Restaurant Week continues into February. President's Day weekend brings extra family programming. Lunar New Year parades run through Chinatown and Flushing on the weekend nearest the lunar new year date. Knicks and Rangers continue their home stretch. Broadway is in mid-season run. The Westminster Dog Show comes to the Garden in mid-February.

St. Patrick's Day on March 17th brings the parade up Fifth Avenue, the largest in the world. The Big East Tournament fills Madison Square Garden with college basketball the second week of March. Yankees and Mets spring training games happen in Florida, with home opener at the end of March or early April. Broadway awards season starts ramping with Drama Desk nominations.

Yankees and Mets open the home season in early April at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Tribeca Festival programming starts ramping toward its June peak. NHL and NBA playoffs typically begin mid-April — when the Knicks, Rangers, or Nets are in, Manhattan turns into one giant viewing party. Brooklyn Botanic Garden cherry blossoms peak late April into early May.

Five Boro Bike Tour the first Sunday of May closes streets across all five boroughs. Frieze New York art fair runs at the Shed at Hudson Yards. Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn Steel, and the indie tier hit peak booking. Yankees and Mets home schedules are in full run. Broadway opens its final push toward the Tony Awards in early June.

Tribeca Festival runs the first two weeks of June with film premieres and live programming. Governors Ball anchors Flushing Meadows-Corona Park early in the month. NYC Pride takes over Manhattan the last weekend with the Sunday march drawing millions. SummerStage opens its season at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield. The Tony Awards air live from Radio City Music Hall on the second Sunday.

July 4th fireworks over the East River from the Macy's display draw the biggest crowd of the summer. Lincoln Center's Summer for the City programs free outdoor performances all month. SummerStage is in peak summer run. Yankees and Mets home games dominate the sports calendar. Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte in Central Park runs free productions with same-day distribution lines.

SummerStage continues its peak run through August. The US Open Tennis Championships begin late August at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, running into early September. Outdoor concerts at Forest Hills Stadium hit their peak. Restaurant Row on West 46th is at full summer patio capacity. Williamsburg and Bushwick warehouse parties run latest.

Electric Zoo over Labor Day weekend on Randall's Island closes out the summer festival run. The US Open final weekend lands in early September at Flushing Meadows. The West Indian Day Parade up Eastern Parkway on Labor Day draws the biggest single-day crowd of the year. Broadway's fall season kicks off with new productions opening. New York Fashion Week takes over Hudson Yards and venues across Manhattan. The San Gennaro Feast fills Little Italy in mid-September.

NHL and NBA regular seasons start in mid-October — Knicks, Rangers, and Nets back at the Garden and Barclays most nights. The New York Film Festival runs at Lincoln Center through the first two weeks. The Village Halloween Parade up Sixth Avenue on October 31st draws over two million spectators. NYC Wine and Food Festival programs tastings across the city. Open House New York gives access to closed buildings the third weekend.

The New York City Marathon runs through all five boroughs on the first Sunday — over 50,000 runners and the largest annual sporting event in the city. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade fills the route from the Upper West Side down to Herald Square on the morning of Thanksgiving. The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular opens at Radio City Music Hall mid-month and runs through early January. NYC Fall Restaurant Week runs the first three weeks of November. Holiday markets open at Bryant Park, Union Square, and Columbus Circle.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in early December opens the holiday stretch — the tree stays lit through early January. The Rockettes run multiple shows daily at Radio City. The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet plays at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center through the month. Holiday markets at Bryant Park, Union Square, and Columbus Circle run through December. New Year's Eve at Times Square brings the ball drop on December 31st, with the surrounding streets closing by early afternoon.