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If you’re already bored with the typical holiday trifecta of markets, light shows and ticketed “immersive” everything, here’s a twist: this year, you can watch a live candlelit concert while floating in a 98-degree pool as the Manhattan skyline glows in the background.
QC New York on Governors Island is launching a month-long floating performance series, running every Saturday from December 6 through January 3. At 4:30 and 5:30pm, swimsuits replace cocktail attire as guests drift among thousands of flickering candles while a string quartet plays classical interpretations of pop, rock and hip-hop. (QC has partnered with Candlelight, a global series known for turning unexpected venues into music halls, to make the whole thing happen.)
Getting there is part of the charm. A five-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan whisks you to Governors Island, where QC New York resides in restored army barracks. Post-concert, guests walk through glowing, heated tunnels into the spa’s 30-plus indoor wellness spaces. There are themed saunas, waterfalls, steam rooms, waterbeds and cozy nooks that will almost make you forget winter exists. Moving between the chilly outdoor air and the warmth inside is part of the experience, as the spa leans into otium, the Italian philosophy of unhurried, purposeful relaxation.
If you plan to stick around after your soak, the spa's nightly Winter Flavors aperitivo runs from 6pm to 9pm. With the purchase of two drinks, you get a complimentary tray of Italian snacks—think pecorino, focaccia, salame, olives, mozzarella balls and mini San Marzano tomatoes.
It's not the first time QC New York has held an intimate wellness-meets-culture moment—it's previously hosted sound baths and sunset yoga—but the candlelit concert series is sure to be its most photogenic experiment yet. Reservations require a special spa admission package, with a five-hour Escape Entrance starting at $124 and a Sunset Entrance from 5–10pm starts at $98. Both include access to pools, relaxation zones, saunas, steam rooms and all the fluffy towels you could want.