Central Park SummerStage: NYC’s Free Outdoor Concert Series

Central Park SummerStage is a free outdoor concert series that has filled Rumsey Playfield with live music every summer since the festival launched in 1986, when the Afrofuturist ensemble Sun Ra Arkestra opened the very first show at the nearby Naumburg Bandshell.

Run by the nonprofit City Parks Foundation, SummerStage moved to its permanent home at Rumsey Playfield in 1990 and has since grown into one of New York City’s signature summer traditions, mixing jazz, hip-hop, Latin, indie, and global music acts with free general admission and select benefit shows.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, New York City
• Type: Outdoor amphitheater / concert venue
• Founded: 1986 (festival); moved to Rumsey Playfield in 1990
• Operator: City Parks Foundation
• Capacity: about 5,000-5,500
• Season: Mid-May through early October
• Famous for: Free summer concerts and hosting ABC’s Good Morning America summer series

A Central Park Institution

SummerStage sits on Rumsey Playfield, a site just east of the Mall that Central Park’s original 1858 Greensward Plan designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had envisioned for music and exhibition space. After decades as a clay-surfaced playing field, the location returned to that founding purpose when SummerStage took root there in 1990.

A roughly $5.5 million renovation completed in 2019 modernized the stage with new LED screens, upgraded sound and lighting, a redesigned canopy, and expanded backstage facilities, keeping the venue equipped for major touring acts while preserving its open-air, come-as-you-are atmosphere.

What to Expect

Most SummerStage shows are free with general admission on a first-come basis, though the series also runs a smaller number of ticketed benefit concerts that help fund the free programming. The lineup spans genres widely, from jazz and Latin music to hip-hop, indie rock, and contemporary dance.

The venue also serves as the site for ABC’s Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, drawing national television audiences to Central Park on select Friday mornings during the summer months.

Explore more: Explore more iconic music venues.

Central Park SummerStage FAQs

Is Central Park SummerStage free?

Most shows are free with general admission, though SummerStage also presents a limited number of ticketed benefit concerts that help fund the free season.

Where exactly is SummerStage located?

It’s held at Rumsey Playfield, just east of the Mall in Central Park, New York City.

When did SummerStage start?

The festival began in 1986 at the Naumburg Bandshell and moved to its current Rumsey Playfield home in 1990.

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Photo: Unknown / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.