Are people who FaceTime while walking down the street literally insane?

What does American art look like right now? According to the 2026 Whitney Biennial: complicated. Opening on March 8 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the exhibition gathers 56 artists navigating everything from AI belief systems to climate grief and geopolitical power.

Co-organized by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition spans most of the museum’s galleries and extends into performance and public programming. The curators resisted the urge to build the show around a tidy thesis. “Rather than coming to our research for the Biennial with a preconceived container, Marcela and I let our conversations with artists guide us,” Sawyer said during an official preview. 

The participant list reflects that breadth. In addition to artists working across 25 states, the Biennial includes artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Vietnam—“places marked by the reach of U.S. power,” as the museum noted. The definition of “American art” here feels elastic and deliberately complicated.

The ultimate blonde bombshell and a movie star like no other, Marilyn Monroe is the subject of a new film series at the Museum of Modern Art, in celebration of the actress's 100th year. From March 12 through 25, "Marilyn Monroe: Celluloid Dream" will spotlight some of the performer's most indelible roles—including the 1953 Howard Hawks classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 1955 Billy Wilder-directed comedy The Seven Year Itch, and her final completed film role, 1961's The Misfits—as well as titles that drew direct influence from her iconography, including David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Check out the full screening schedule here. 

Stone Street's St. Patrick's Day celebration is pretty legendary—outside of the official parade itself, it's New York's biggest annual Paddy's party. And this year, the spirited street festival is spanning Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, 17 with live Irish bands, traditional bagpipers, DJ sets and more, keeping the fun going from noon to 10pm daily. A dozen outdoor bars will be set up along the block and selling both food (classic Irish pub specials, Mexican street food, Caribbean treats and more) and drinks, including beer on draft (Guinness, duh), green “Shamrock” margaritas, green jello shots and other specialty drinks, as well as non-alcoholic options.

After a sold-out 2025 run, Edge and live-event producer Fever are bringing back their Candlelight Evenings series, this time with a string quartet worthy of Lady Whistledown.

Bridgerton Candlelight Evenings at Edge will take place from 8pm to 9pm for just five nights (February 28, March 1, March 6, March 7 and March 13). Expect standing-room-only indoor pop-up performances featuring classical takes on the show’s swoony pop covers, all set against 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline from 100 stories up. Thousands of candles will illuminate the space, transforming the sleek observation deck into something closer to a royal ballroom in the clouds.

The experience is open to all Edge ticketholders, meaning you can pair your concert moment with a wander onto the outdoor sky deck with its glass floor, angled glass walls and skyline steps spanning the 100th and 101st floors. During non-performance windows, all guests can take part in Bridgerton-themed photo ops, including an 8-foot wisteria arch and a Victorian-inspired gold-framed mirror.

Sure, you've heard of wine pairings. But what about books and burlesque pairings? For this balmy spring show at Caveat on Saturday, March 14 at 9pm, award-winning authors will read excerpts from their new books. Then, a burlesque or drag performer will present a spectacular new act they created that was inspired by the book pairing. 

This literary evening of "lore and allure" boasts an excellent lineup featuring: Elizabeth Gurly Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy and Revolution by Mary Anne Trasciatti paired with a performance by Rosie Tulips; The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Dr. Ethelene Whitmire interpreted by performer Chestnut Belafonte; a performance by Fortune Cookie (who also produces and hosts the event) coupled with Kevin Nguyen's novel My Documents; a reading of the Cleyvis Natera novel The Grand Paloma Resort paired with Saida Exit; and Mizzaddy's take on Don't Step Into My Office, the debut novel by David Fishkind.

Local bookstore Book Club Bar (197 East 3rd Street) will sell signed copies of all the books featured at the show.

New York’s ongoing matcha obsession is getting a serious carb-forward upgrade this spring. Starting March 5 through the end of the month, Breads Bakery is rolling out a limited-time, matcha-packed menu that leans just as heavily into pastries and desserts as on cafe classics.

The brewed lineup includes a classic matcha latte, available hot or iced and made with your milk of choice, plus a straight-up whisked matcha for purists who want the full grassy, bold flavor without distractions. The real headline, though, is the baked menu. There's now a playful green twist on some of the bakery’s signature formats, including the Matchalach, a flaky laminated take on rugelach filled with creamy matcha, as well as matcha brioche buns stuffed with smooth pastry cream. A velvety matcha pound cake brings understated sweetness and crisp shortbread cookies with dark chocolate chips lean into the tea’s slightly bitter edge.

The limited-time lineup will be available at Breads Bakery locations across Manhattan—including Union Square, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side—so consider this your cue to lean fully into green tea season while it lasts.

A new pop-up photo exhibition at the St. George Ferry Terminal is turning the transit hub into an open-air gallery, showcasing powerful portraits of immigrant New Yorkers and the lives they’re building across the city. The installation is part of the third annual “New York Proud” campaign, organized by the New York Immigration Coalition in partnership with Photoville. The public art initiative turns busy public spaces into storytelling platforms that highlight the experiences and contributions of immigrants across the five boroughs. 

This time around, the portraits have landed in Staten Island—right where thousands of commuters, tourists and ferry riders pass through every day. Photographed by Venezuelan documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo, the exhibition features immigrant New Yorkers in the places where they work and create, like kitchens, studios, clinics, stages and street corners. The subjects range from fruit vendors and chefs to playwrights and doctors, offering a glimpse into the many roles immigrants play in keeping New York running.

On Saturday, March 14 at 2pm, 7th Street Burger is teaming up with Bronx Native to host a Bad Bunny lookalike contest at the Bronx burger joint with a serious cash prize. So if you resemble Bad Bunny, even a little, show up with your best looks. The winner walks away with $500 in cash, which in this town translates to a solid night out and then some.

What counts as a resemblance is up for interpretation. Maybe you’ve got the curly hair and the perfectly groomed stubble. Maybe it’s the oversized fits, the confident slouch or the sunglasses worn indoors like there's no other option. Maybe others think you look like the pop star, or maybe you just embody his unbeatable vibe.

But even if you're the complete opposite of the Puerto Rican icon, you'll want to roll up and show up early. The first 50 attendees will score a free burger, and we all know 7th Street Burger does it right with smash-style, crispy-edged patties on soft potato buns. You'll want some serious fuel while judging the throngs of strong jawlines and smoldering gazes.

You've heard of Night at the Museum but what about Night in the Library? On Saturday, March 14 kicking off at 7pm, the Brooklyn Public Library is bringing back its overnight festival inviting after-hours attendees to its central branch for talks, panels, workshops, and performances that celebrate the free flow of ideas in the company of others. Given that it's Pi Day, the theme of the evening will be, duh, The Philosophy of Mathematics, exploring truths, proofs and other paradoxes alongside less overtly math-y topics like poetry, psychology, nature and dreams. Among this installment's illustrious lecturers are filmmaker Werner Herzog, renowned psychologist Jamieson Webster, The Hours author Michael Cunningham and artist Paul Chan.

Running from March 13 through April 12 at La Mama Galleria, JEWESS is the ambitious new exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Danielle Durchslag, exploring three powerful Ashkenazi characters who meet "at the crossroads of Jewish ritual, politics, and fashion," per organizers. Visually inspired by 1960s glamour, Tudor court dressing and early London punk, the personas are Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth I and a rebellion Angel of Death, all reimagined with the Jewish holidays of  Passover and Shabbat in mind. During the exhibition's run, there will be three free and open-to-the-public events: Two guided tours of the exhibit by the artist herself on March 21; a concert by NYC Jewish punk band Theophobia on March 22; and  a conversation between Durchslag, designer Isaac Mizrahi and comedian Negin Farsad about Jewish glamour on April 5.