The best NYC events in August 2025

Summer Streets is the epic Manhattan tradition that opens up miles of thoroughfares for walkers, runners, bicyclists and people-watchers of all ages.

This event takes place in Manhattan on August 3, 10 and 17; and Brooklyn and The Bronx on August 24. It’s free for all to walk, run, play and bike throughout the Summer Street closures, and there are typically themed rest stops with food and entertainment along the route.

Here's the breakdown of where you can find Summer Streets throughout NYC this summer.

Hitting a Yankees game couldn’t be more quintessentially New York. The Major League Baseball team, which won the World Series in 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009, made it to the World Series again in 2024! To date, the Yankees have won 27 World Series in 42 appearances, the most in the MLB in addition to major North American professional sports leagues. Through 2024, their all-time regular season winning percentage is .569 (a 10,778 – 8,148 record)—the best of any team in MLB history.

Grab your tickets now to see NYC in action!

Although folks from around the world know all about the U.S. Open, not many are aware of the fact that the event's fan week, which usually takes place a few days before the tournament's official kickoff, actually offers a wider (and cheaper!) roster of things to do related to the competition.

This year, US Open Fan Week runs from August 19 through 25, offering everyone free grounds admission ahead of the August 26 main draw. You can browse through the full list of events right here, including tournaments, parties and more.

Afropunk Festival, a celebration of alternative Black music and artistry, has become one of the most exciting live events in the world. Not everyone knows that the party, which is now global, actually started in Brooklyn, and it's officially coming back for two days next month.

This year's festival, AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN, will take place from August 23-24 at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park. Although the full lineup hasn't been announced yet, the festival will be headlined by the legendary Erykah Badu for the first time since 2018. Tickets are on sale here.

The views at Edge, the highest sky deck in the western hemisphere, are always stunning, but now they’re even more beautiful thanks to an eye-catching new activation. 

This highly Instagrammable exhibit called “SHADES” features transparent colors in both the indoor and outdoor areas of Edge. On the outdoor deck, see how the perspective changes as you look through the clear glass versus the colorful panels. Inside, peek through colorful panels that make an adorable photo-op. “SHADES” is on view through September and is included with admission.

Even for longtime New Yorkers who have seen the skyline thousands of times, the experience offers a fresh perspective on the city. 

New York City Restaurant Week’s summer edition is upon us. Reservations for the summer session are available at more than 600 restaurants with prix fixe specials citywide through August 18. This year’s price points are $30, $45 and $60 for brunch, lunch and dinner menus on the days of each venue’s choosing.

With so many sensational spots, and so little time to taste them all, it can be hard to narrow the field. Luckily, we've taken the initiative to highlight the top options. 

The city’s most beloved free summer concert series is back with a stellar line-up featuring nearly 85 free and benefit shows in Central Park, plus neighborhood parks across the five boroughs.  

The 2024 SummerStage lineup includes T-Pain, Snail Mail, Madison Cunningham, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Metropolitan Opera, Counting Crows, Ghostface Killah, The Gaslight Anthem, Trixie Mattel and Amanda Lepore, and more.

This season is all about celebrating incredible music from around the world with artists like The Aussie BBQ, Colombian music star Fonseca and Spain’s captivating new flamenco singer Israel Fernández, Sidonie and the Balkan Paradise Orchestra.  

All shows are free except the benefit concerts. Here's the full schedule and ticket info.

Smorgasburg, the food bazaar spectacular, is back for 2024 with dozens of great local vendors across four locations.

In fact, with more than 70 vendors, it's the largest Smorgasburg lineup since 2018! Vendors this year will serve up fragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine, and lots more.

Smorgasburg WTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays. Each location is open from 11am-6pm and operates weekly through October. The outlier is The Shed location; it'll run from July 3-August 22 from 11am-6pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

New York summers wouldn't feel the same without the iconic MoMA PS1 music series, which every year highlights some of the most relevant DJs of the moment. MoMA PS1's Warm Up series is about to back for its 26th season in Long Island City.

For six Fridays in July and August, the museum's outdoor space turns into a giant day party from 4pm-10pm. The lineup includes Hyperdub label founder Kode9, Jersey club pioneer UNIIQU3, Juliana Huxtable and other underground club culture icons from cities like São Paulo, Paris, and beyond. 

Eat your way through Japan without ever leaving New York City at JAPAN Fes, the massive foodie festival, which is back and bigger than ever for 2024. The organization is hosting 30 outdoor events this year stretching through November in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Event organizers say it's the largest Japanese food festival in the world, attracting 300,000 visitors and featuring 1,000 vendors every year.

Expect dishes including takoyaki, ramen, matcha sweets, yakisoba, karaage, okonomiyaki, and lots more. They're even hosting a ramen contest and a konamon contest this year to crown the best of the bunch. Vendors hail from New York City, as well as other states and other countries. 

Here's the full list of dates and neighborhoods.

A bevy open-air night markets are popping up around town this summer, from the Bronx to Brooklyn and Manhattan to Queens. Plus, the Vegan Night Market and Latin Night Market are back! This summer also sees the first Union Square Night Market and the first Lincoln Center Night Market.  

We've rounded up details on all of them, so grab some cash and make plans to eat locally—and deliciously. 

TSQ Live offers a series of 80 free, open-air performances all over Times Square. It's basically a giant, free outdoor event festival with programs presented by the likes of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Soul Summit and more. 

Expect dance workshops by Ailey Extension, weekly DJ sets, and a new series called Street Lab that will feature pop-up activations for entire families focusing on all things art. This year's full lineup can be found right here.

Basically a massive maze made of ropes, this new exhibit allows attendees to jump inside, climb, relax and even get lost in the whole webbed arrangement that’s comprised of 80,000 feet of handwoven rope, which is part of a 400-square-foot interactive artwork created by Treenet Collective, a net expert company. 

Find "The INTERnet" at INTER_, the interactive art center at 415 Broadway by Canal Street in Soho.

The installation, which accommodates 15 people at once, boasts a variety of different weaving styles, each one creating a "setting" for folks to dive into, including the "quantum leap," where guests can play in mid-air, and the "social network," a more serene space that will feel like you are floating above everyone else.

There's nothing more "summer in NYC" than taking in a movie in the great outdoors, under the hardly-seen stars and set to the humming soundtrack of the city.

New Yorkers love to take in films on the nicest rooftops, on the best beaches, and in our city's greatest parks (preferably with a drink or popcorn in hand). Luckily, NYC has no shortage of places to catch outdoor movie screenings you can attend in the warmer months.

The Brooklyn Flea is undoubtedly one of the most popular flea markets to hit in NYC if you're looking for the best selection of throwback wares and records.

The Brooklyn Flea DUMBO is now underway on the cobblestone streets of Pearl Plaza, where it spotlights roughly more than 40 vendors that display their goods beneath the Manhattan Bridge. Brooklyn Flea also operates in Chelsea year-round on Saturdays and Sundays, 8am-4pm.  

The Rooftop at Pier 17 has long been one of our favorite concert venues in New York City. The panoramic views, the chill vibe, and the stellar acoustics make it a truly special spot to see a show. And with this year's stacked lineup of 60+ concerts this summer, it's definitely worth heading there for a night of live music.

The sixth Summer Concert Series on The Rooftop at Pier 17 features more than 60 artists in genres from rap to rock to electronic and more. Plus, there are several bands on the roster that will make Millennials swoon with nostalgia. Read on for the full lineup and get tickets here.

Ever wanted to touch one of the dresses at the Met? Or how about smell it? At last, now's your chance. 

The museum's new exhibit, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," takes a multi-sensory approach allowing visitors to smell, touch, and hear the clothing, not just look at it. With more than 200 garments from the 1600s to today, the exhibition is the largest and most ambitious in the Costume Institute's history in terms of range and scope.

Here are five things to expect from the exhibit, which runs through September 2.

From old New York throwbacks to party destinations and seaside terraces practically fashioned for Instagram, these rooftop bars offer booze, some kind of view and an invitation for you to get high.

The legendary Shirley Chisholm is deservedly getting a major museum presentation courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York and the Shirley Chisholm Project at Brooklyn College. Running through July 20, 2025, Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100 will delve into the life and legacy of the native New Yorker and barrier-breaking politician, who was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket.

Marking the centennial of the late Chisholm’s birth, her first major exhibition will take over the museum's second-floor North Gallery and tell the multi-dimensional story of the American icon in three sections—Brooklyn Life, Political Career, and Legacy—using historical artifacts, photographs, archival footage, and art pieces.