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

If you’ve ever wished New York would hit the mute button on traffic for a few hours, your favorite summer fantasy is about to become reality. Summer Streets is back this month, turning more than 20 miles of roads across all five boroughs into giant, car-free playgrounds where walkers, runners, cyclists and roller skaters can take over roadways normally clogged with traffic. This year’s edition is already underway, unfolding over five Saturdays between July 25 and August 22. Participants can revel in the free activities, live performances, fitness classes, art installations and the space to simply wander down the middle of the avenue.

The season kicked off with simultaneous routes in Queens and Staten Island, and then another in Manhattan.

The next two Saturdays are in Manhattan—August 8 and 15—featuring the event’s longest route yet from the Brooklyn Bridge all the way north to Dyckman Street. It goes right through the heart of the borough following Lafayette Street, Park Avenue, East 110th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Broadway. Streets will be open from 7am to 3pm, giving early risers eight uninterrupted hours to explore. The series wraps up on August 22, when Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway (from Grand Army Plaza to Buffalo Avenue) and the Bronx’s Grand Concourse (from East Tremont Avenue to Mosholu Parkway) become pedestrian-first corridors from 9am to 5pm.

The songs of Québécois nightingale Celine Dion are the stately vessel—or are they the iceberg?—in this campy spoof of James Cameron's 1997 romantic disaster film, written by Marla Mindelle (Sister Act) and Constantine Rousouli (Cruel Intentions) with director Tye Blue. After more than 1,000 performances Off Broadway, the ship sails onto the Main Stem this spring; original stars Mindelle, Rousouli and Frankie Grande are newly flanked by Jim Parsons (!) as meddling mother Ruth Dewitt Bukater and Deborah Cox as the ever-unsinkable Molly Brown. Time Out readers can enjoy a discount of up to 50% on select tickets thru 8/31 by using this link with code TONY26

If you've ever wanted to channel your inner Andy Sachs (or practice your best Miranda Priestly glare), your moment has arrived. Starting Wednesday, July 29, the Museum of Arts and Design at Columbus Circle is turning part of its galleries into “Welcome to the Runway: An Immersive Experience,” a free-with-admission pop-up celebrating the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2’s streaming debut on Disney+ and Hulu. Running through August 9, the interactive installation invites fans to step into some of the sequel's most recognizable fashion moments, complete with plenty of photo ops worthy of your Instagram grid.

The fan experience recreates several cinematic settings inspired by the stylish film, including Miranda Priestly's intimidating desk and the Runway closet, where visitors can pose as though they've just landed fashion's most coveted internship. Guests can also bookend their visit with personalized styling consultations and learn how to perfect a runway walk before strutting down a sleek white catwalk while cameras capture the moment on video.

Original costumes worn by film stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and more will also be on display throughout the installation, offering a closer look at the wardrobe that's helped make The Devil Wears Prada one of the most influential fashion films of the past two decades. Whether you're a longtime devotee who quotes "That's all" on the regular, or are simply looking for a fun summer outing, the installation leans into the fantasy of stepping inside the glamorous world of high fashion.

Ballet is having a very good summer. Curated by ballet superstar Misty Copeland, The Joyce’s Ballet Festival brings two weeks of big-name dancers, boundary-pushing choreographers and enough elegant leaps to make your own daily commute to the subway feel appropriately pedestrian. The lineup pulls from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Paris Opera Ballet and more, with works ranging from José Limón and Bob Fosse to brand-new choreography. Basically, ballet’s past, present and future, all in one expansive package.

If you’ve ever wanted to dive headfirst into a giant pile of pastel beads without having to clean it up, your time has come. Salon 94 Design (3 E. 89th St.) and artist CJ Hendry team up for Pastel, a technicolor playground running from August 6 through August 16, where visitors can plunge into a massive bead pit and build their own bracelet, necklace or charm. Hendry’s signature characters, flowers and smiley faces join drawings, editions and plenty of branded swag, making this the rare exhibition where you’re actively encouraged to take a piece of the experience home.

Beginning last week, Seaport Cinema outdoor movies is taking place on the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17 (89 South Street). The event runs on Tuesday nights at sundown around 8pm with stunning waterfront views of the Brooklyn Bridge and movie-themed concessions. The seasonal tradition kicked off on Tuesday, July 21 with the Nicolas Cage-led caper National Treasure. A string of beloved comedies including Legally Blonde (August 4) and 13 Going on 30 (August 11) are still to follow.

Things get romantic later in August with screenings of Crazy Rich Asians (August 18) and Dirty Dancing (August 25), before the summertime series finishes off on September 8 with the sporty biopic King Richard, starring Oscar-winning Will Smith as Serena and Venus Williams' father-slash-coach, Richard Williams. 

As usual, every screening will be free and open to the public, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. And given the outdoor nature of the series, attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets to sit on. You are also allowed to bring your own food, or order from the venue's on-site restaurants. There will also be a dedicated Heineken Zone, complete with reserved seating and a bucket of Heineken brews, available for $25; tickets are on sale at The Seaport website. 

New York City Restaurant Week is among the five boroughs’ best food holidays. Traditionally, New Yorkers (and a few lucky tourists) clear their dining schedules and make reservations at the city’s best special occasion spots, high-profile newcomers and all-time favorite restaurants for deals unseen the rest of the year. Hundreds of destinations participate citywide, with menu prices below their typical tabs. 

For NYC Restaurant Week, eateries curate their menus and produce prix fixe selections for brunch, lunch, dinner and sometimes all three. Saturdays are formally excluded and Sundays are discretionary, so expect regular menu prices at those times unless otherwise stated. 

The summer 2026 campaign is running from July 20 to August 16. You've still got roughly a week to choose from oodles of NYC classics and recent culinary additions. 

The William Vale has announced the return of its annual Vale Cinema Series, bringing six poolside screenings to the hotel’s rooftop this summer. The series takes place at the Vale Pool, which has been transformed for the season into the Sephora Summer Club, a colorful collab that pairs outdoor movies with city views and cocktails.

Running from June through August, the lineup primarily consists of crowd-pleasing favorites and cult classics. This year also introduces a new “Sephora Presents” series, highlighting films connected by themes of beauty and self-expression.

The season kicked off on June 8 with Barbie, everyone’s favorite pink-hued blockbuster. On June 29, the spotlight shifted to Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the beloved rock musical and cult favorite. July brought two very different summer classics: Grease on July 13 as part of the Sephora-sponsored series, and Jaws on July 27, a particularly fitting choice for a screening taking place beside a pool. August begins with Legally Blonde on August 10 and the season wraps on August 24 with Mean Girls, ensuring that one of the most quotable comedies ever made closes out the summer.

Summer for the City returns June 10 through August 8, once again turning Lincoln Center into an open-air cultural playground hosting hundreds of performances—most of them completely free, with select indoor events offered on a choose-what-you-pay basis starting at $5.

Now in its fifth year, the festival has quietly become one of the city’s defining summer traditions, drawing more than 1.6 million visitors since launching in 2022. And for 2026, it’s going even bigger, with the simple idea of getting New Yorkers out of their apartments and into something a little more lively.

Dance is the headline act this year and it’s everywhere. A brand-new Lincoln Center Contemporary Dance Festival will take over Alice Tully Hall with international companies and multiple premieres, while a new outdoor series, Dance Encounters, brings contemporary works directly to Hearst Plaza. 

Music, of course, is just as central. The Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center returns with an expanded run at David Geffen Hall, alongside nine new commissions across dance and classical music. Elsewhere, the lineup leans global, with events like Brazil Day, Jamaica Day, Ruidosa Fest and Chinese Arts Week reflecting the city’s cultural mix.

One of New York's hottest dance parties is making its much-awaited return, and with a seriously impressive lineup to boot. Beginning Friday, July 24, the MoMA PS1 Warm Up series turns the museum's courtyard into a dancefloor with DJ sets and live performances on six Friday evenings in July and August.

The 2026 lineup spotlights innovators in electronic music hailing from here in New York City and around the world: think post-rave hardcore techno, jungle-house DJs, Detroit machine funk outfits, experimental electro tunes and much more.

Long Island City residents with proof of residency in ZIP codes 11101, 11106 or 11109 get one complimentary ticket per event on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that a limited number of tickets are reserved for local residents at each Warm Up event.