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New York is getting a birthday bash worthy of one of its most influential art institutions.
MoMA PS1 will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an all-day block party on Saturday, April 18, transforming its Long Island City campus into a sprawling, free public festival packed with art, music and community programming.
Running from 10am to 6pm, the event coincides with the opening weekend of "Greater New York 2026," the museum’s signature survey of artists living and working across the city.
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Expect a full-on takeover of the museum’s courtyard, plaza and galleries, with curator-led gallery talks, live DJ sets, family-friendly workshops and food vendors. And in a very New York touch, more than 60 local artists and makers will set up shop as part of a special market, turning the celebration into a mini art fair-meets-street festival.
Among the announced participants are Discolocas NYC Fiesta Club, FAD Market, Lady Pink, Lower Eastside Girls Club, Make the Road, Malikah, Nuevayorkinos, Queens Night Market, Queensboro Dance Festival, Queensbridge Photo Collective, Red Canary Song and St. James Joy.
If that sounds like a lot, well, so is 50 years. Since opening in 1971, MoMA PS1 has built its reputation on experimental programming and community-forward events, from its long-running Warm Up parties to its boundary-pushing exhibitions, and this anniversary is leaning hard into that legacy.
The milestone also arrives on the heels of a major shift for the institution. As of 2026, MoMA PS1 is one of the largest free museums in New York City, removing admission fees entirely as part of its anniversary celebrations. That means the block party isn’t just free; it’s also emblematic of a broader push to make contemporary art more accessible.
Whether you’re there for the DJs, the shopping, the exhibitions or just an excuse to hang out in a courtyard full of creative energy, this is less a typical museum event and more a full-fledged neighborhood takeover. And for one day at least, the city’s art world will feel a little more like a block party.