Free Outdoor Shows & Performance Festivals in NYC Summer 2026
Catch Shakespeare in the Park, The Classical Theatre of Harlem and other alfresco performances
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New York’s outdoor theatre season has arrived and Shakespeare in the Park is just one of many incredible options. From The Classical Theatre of Harlem to the Battery Dance Festival, Lincoln Center’s two-month Summer for the City festival to the Bard staged downtown and in the outer boroughs (including two Julius Caesars, two Hamlets and three As You Like Its!), we’ve got the scoop on all the outdoor shows to see in NYC, and most of our picks are FREE.
For even more outdoor performances, check out our Show Finder listings.
Although most of these productions do not require tickets, before heading to a show, check the official website to make sure it’s not canceled due to inclement weather or illness.
Smith Street Stage: Julius Caesar – begins May 14
Thursday, May 14-Sunday, June 7. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Carroll Park, enter at Carroll and Smith Streets in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Arrive at least a half hour early to snag one of the folding chairs.
This actor-led troupe has been presenting free shows in Brooklyn’s Carroll Park since 2010. This summer’s offering is Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar about politicians who plot an assassination with idealistic intentions but deadly consequences. In an era of political turmoil, the Bard’s tragic history play is a grim reminder that violence cannot save democracy. Sleep No More alum Louis Butelli portrays the ill-fated title character.
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Lower East Side Festival of the Arts – begins May 22
Friday, May 22-Sunday, May 24. FREE – no tickets required.
In and around Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue at 10th Street in the East Village
Since 1996, the venerable Theater for the New City has hosted this annual arts fest, which takes place inside the multistage venue but also spills out onto 10th Street. More than 200 organizations and artists are scheduled to take part in this anything-goes shindig, including downtown icons Penny Arcade and Zero Boy, cabaret star KT Sullivan, Chinese Theatre Works, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers and TNC Street Theater.
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The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park: Romeo & Juliet – begins May 22
Friday, May 22-Sunday, June 28. FREE but tickets are required.
Delacorte Theater in Central Park, enter at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Shakespeare in the Park returns to a two-show summer schedule! First up: the Bard’s romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet, which hasn’t been seen at the Delacorte in two decades. The Public’s associate artistic director, Saheem Ali, helms this tale of besotted teens torn apart by their feuding families. In this production, the title lovers (Daniel Bravo Hernández and Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens) speak Spanish, their own secret language of love, while everyone else sticks to English. Tony winners Francis Jue, Deirdre O’Connell and LaChanze portray some of the meddling adults who hasten the sorrowful ending.
How to get tickets: There are multiple ways to try to snag FREE tickets: in person at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park starting at noon every performance day (with three separate lines for the general public, seniors and individuals with disabilities); the in-person lottery at The Public Theater at noon every performance day; various in-person distribution sites in the outer boroughs for specific performances; a digital lottery via TodayTix; and an in-person standby line before each performance. Details are on The Public’s website. A Public Theater Patron ID is required to receive FREE tickets, so be sure to register for one in advance.
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Hudson Classical Theater Company: Uncle Vanya – begins May 28
Thursday, May 28-Sunday, June 21. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Behind The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the North Patio at 89th Street and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. Cushions are provided.
Hudson Classical Theater Company kicks off its 23rd season with Uncle Vanya, Anton Chekhov’s heartbreaking tale of loneliness and longing as the unhappy caretaker of a country estate realizes life has passed him by.
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New York Classical Theatre: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar – begins June 2
Tuesday, June 2-Sunday, July 5. FREE – no tickets required though you can make a reservation if you want to be informed about weather-related cancelations. Post-show donations are encouraged.
Multiple locations: Central Park on the Upper West Side June 2-21; Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side June 23-28; Castle Clinton in The Battery (June 30- July 5). Bring your own chairs or blankets.
Since 2000, New York Classical Theatre has been presenting environmental stagings of vintage plays for free in Manhattan parks. Audiences literally follow the action as the performers move through the green spaces. The troupe has chosen the Bard’s politically charged Julius Caesar for our polarized moment. Check the schedule for special events, including matinees for students and seniors, pre-performance conversations and family nights.
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The Public Mobile Unit: As You Like It – begins June 4
Thursday, June 4-Sunday, June 28. FREE – no tickets required but you can register to receive location details and reminders about the show.
Various locations in all five boroughs. See the complete schedule. First-come, first-served chair seating is available.
The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit, which tours one-act versions of Shakespeare plays to locations throughout NYC, presents As You Like It, about family and friends finding true love and forgiveness in the magical Forest of Arden. The Public’s inaugural directing fellow, Emma Rosa Went, who helmed the acclaimed epic Initiative last season, stages this romantic romp full of cross-dressing, mistaken identity and unexpected reunions.
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Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City – begins June 10
Wednesday, June 10-Saturday, August 8. Most outdoor events are FREE with first-come, first-served general admission; you can also make free Fast Track reservations online, which give you priority. Check individual listings for instructions. Indoor events are pay-what-you-wish.
Multiple locations, indoors and outside, on the Lincoln Center campus. See the complete schedule of events.
For the fifth year in a row, Lincoln Center is presenting an exciting array of (mostly) no-cost concerts, performances, readings and interactive art installations throughout its Upper West Side campus (though Damrosch Park is closed for renovations). FREE outdoor highlights include Big Umbrella Day, a festival for neurodivergent audiences (June 13); Tony-nominated CATS: The Jellicle Ball choreographer Omari Wiles and his Les Ballet Afrik (June 17 and 18); a Juneteenth celebration featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks’ and her band The Tune Up (June 19); and the Louis Armstrong House Museum Big Band with the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers (June 25). There are also choose-what-you-pay indoor performances starting at $5, such as the BAAND Together Dance Festival (July 28–August 1) featuring five iconic NYC troupes: Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. It’s worth perusing the entire schedule to see what piques your interest.
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Shakespeare Downtown: Uncle Vanya – begins June 11
Thursday, June 11-Sunday, June 21. FREE but tickets are required and distributed first come, first served starting 30 minutes before showtime.
Castle Clinton National Monument in The Battery. Click here for a map.
Shakespeare Downtown celebrates its tenth season of presenting classic plays inside the Castle Clinton National Monument, a circular, roofless, sandstone fort in The Battery that has served many purposes over the past two centuries. This year’s show is a streamlined, intermissionless Uncle Vanya, adapted and directed by Geoffrey Horne.
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Boomerang Theatre Company: The Taming of the Shrew – begins June 20
Saturday, June 20-Sunday, July 19. FREE but making advance reservations encouraged.
The lawn just inside 69th Street and Central Park West. Bring your own chairs or blankets.
For its 27th season, this scrappy theatre troupe presents The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare’s controversial battle of the sexes as Petruchio tries to bend Katherina to his will. Note, all performances are weekend matinees, a rarity for free summer shows!
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Hudson Classical Theater Company: Hamlet – begins June 25
Thursday, June 25-Sunday, July 19. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Behind The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the North Patio at 89th Street and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. Cushions are provided.
Hudson Classical Theater Company continues its three-show season with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, as a prince grapples with the murder of his father, the too-soon nuptials of his mother and uncle, and a ghost’s call for vengeance.
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The Classical Theatre of Harlem: Othello – begins July 2
Friday, July 3-Sunday, July 26. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, enter at 122nd Street and Mount Morris Park West in Harlem. Seating is first come, first served, but the theatre has benches, not chairs, so everyone can squeeze in.
One of NYC’s most celebrated Black companies, The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) has been mounting inventive takes on old favorites since 1999. This summer, the troupe’s award-winning associate artistic director, Carl Cofield, helms Othello, Shakespeare’s searing tragedy about jealousy, power and race. James Udom stars as the too-easily manipulated title general and Broadway vet Nick Westrate is the evil underling who brings him down. Despite the heavy subject matter, CTH is known for keeping its free summer shows family-friendly with dance, humor and streamlined running times.
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The Drilling Company: As You Like It – begins July 16
Thursday, July 16-Saturday, August 1. FREE.
The parking lot at the intersection of Rivington and Norfolk Streets on the Lower East Side. Chairs are provided on a first-come, first-served basis or bring your own.
The Drilling Company presents the Bard’s romantic comedy As You Like It for its 31st season of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, a scrappy tradition that channels the spirit of the artsy neighborhood. The troupe’s founder, Hamilton Clancy, directs this romp of true love and forgiveness in the Forest of Arden.
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Hudson Classical Theater Company: The Dancing Men: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery – July 23
Thursday, July 23-Sunday, August 16. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Behind The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the North Patio at 89th Street and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. Cushions are provided.
Hudson Classical Theater Company wraps up its season with The Dancing Men: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, written and co-directed by the troupe’s executive artistic director, Susane Lee. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story of the same name, the play follows the famous detective as he tries to solve a mystery involving a husband, his enigmatic new wife and a series of ominous messages.
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The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park: The Winter’s Tale – begins July 25
Saturday, July 25-Sunday, August 23. FREE but tickets are required.
Delacorte Theater in Central Park, enter at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Tony-winning director Daniel Sullivan helms The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s genre-shifting comedy-tragedy-romance about an insanely jealous king, a pair of determined young lovers, an oracle, a magical statue and a character-chasing bear. If you’ve never seen this problem play, it’s weird but also wonderful and quite moving. The cast (presumably a starry one) will be announced in mid-June.
How to get tickets: There are multiple ways to try to snag FREE tickets: in person at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park starting at noon every performance day (with three separate lines for the general public, seniors and individuals with disabilities); the in-person lottery at The Public Theater at noon every performance day; various in-person distribution sites in the outer boroughs for specific performances; a digital lottery via TodayTix; and an in-person standby line before each performance. Details are on The Public’s website. A Public Theater Patron ID is required to receive FREE tickets, so be sure to register for one in advance.
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Hip to Hip Theatre Company: The Tempest and Hamlet – begins July 28
Tuesday, July 28-Saturday, August 22. FREE – no tickets required but post-show donations are encouraged.
Various parks in Queens, Jersey City and Southampton. See the complete schedule. Bring your own blankets or chairs.
Since 2007, Hip to Hip Theatre Company has been touring professional outdoor mountings of Shakespeare plays to parks in Queens and beyond. With energetic actors, 90-minute running times and pre-show Kids & the Classics interactive workshops, Hip to Hip’s no-cost productions are a great way to introduce children to the poetry of the Bard. This summer the troupe presents Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth and his romantic romp As You Like It in rep. The former is a literal bloody tragedy, so As You Like It is a better bet for families.
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Battery Dance Festival – begins August 10
Monday, August 10-Sunday, August 16. FREE – no tickets required.
Robert Wagner Park, 20 Battery Place in Battery Park City. Bring your own blankets or chairs.
The programming is eclectic and plentiful at this annual favorite presented by Battery Dance. Launched in 1982, this festival offers domestic dance-makers a chance to share the bill with troupes from around the world. The 45th annual edition kicks off on Monday, August 10 with an evening of no-cost dance workshops at 4, 5, 6 and 7 p.m. From Tuesday, August 11 through Saturday, August 16, catch a wide variety of dazzling dance against the dramatic backdrop of New York Harbor every evening at 7 p.m. The complete lineup will be available on Battery Dance’s website in late July and performances will also be available to stream online.
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Public Works: Public Record – begins September 4
Friday, September 4-Sunday, Tuesday, September 8. FREE but tickets are required.
Delacorte Theater in Central Park, enter at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Traditionally, The Public Theater’s invaluable Public Works program has transformed Shakespeare plays into participatory pageants, but this year’s offering is a bit different. Theatre artists Emily Lim and Dan Canham are behind this live album celebrating our city, which will be created onstage in real time every night by 100-plus diverse denizens: musicians, dancers and singers alongside everyday New Yorkers. Written by Lisa Sanaye Dring with songs by Michael Thurber (Goddess), Public Record aims to capture the energy, joy and community of the Big Apple.
How to get tickets: Tickets will be FREE but required. Details on distribution are still being finalized. We’ll update this post once we have the info.
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Molière in the Park: Don Juan – begins September 5
Saturday, September 5-Sunday, September 27. FREE but reserving tickets online is required.
LeFrak Center, 171 East Drive in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Founded in 2018, Molière in the Park mounts free outdoor shows by the groundbreaking French playwright in Prospect Park’s Lefrak Center at Lakeside. This summer’s offering is his comedic take on the notorious libertine Don Juan. Casting is not yet announced but this troupe tends to get some pretty big names.
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Taylor Mac & Matt Ray: Songs from Bark of Millions – begins September 18
Friday, September 18-Sunday, September 20. FREE but tickets are required.
Delacorte Theater in Central Park, enter at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Pulitzer finalist Taylor Mac and his frequent collaborator, Obie Award-winning composer Matt Ray, present numbers from their rock opera Bark of Millions, an epic about queer icons throughout history. Reimagined for Central Park, the performance features costumes by Machine Dazzle and a slew of fabulous LGBTQ artists.
How to get tickets: Tickets will be FREE but required. Details on distribution are still being finalized. We’ll update this post once we have the info.
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Note: We didn’t include Little Island (which may be scaling back its programming) or Broadway in Bryant Park because their respective schedules have not yet been released. We’ll update this post once we have the details.
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