By Gus Saltonstall
The weather is warming, and details were recently announced for two popular summer programming series connected to the Upper West Side.
First, the Riverside Park Conservancy rolled out details last week for its 2026 Summer on the Hudson programming, which includes more than 400 free events along the west side of Manhattan. And on Tuesday, the City Parks Foundation announced details for the SummerStage series, an annual concert series featuring multiple free performances in Central Park.
Here is what to know about each one.
Summer on the Hudson
Riverside Park Conservancy’s Summer on the Hudson will run from May 3 to September 30, along the Hudson River, from West 59th to 181st streets.
The events will include live music, dance, exercise classes, education workshops, activities for children, and more.
“Our free public programming continues to provide a wide array of high-quality cultural experiences to all New Yorkers at no cost. In recent seasons, we launched more programming uptown, began offering our popular indoor fitness classes in the 102nd Street Field House, and expanded our nature-focused educational offerings,” said Whitney Dearden, director of public programming for Riverside Park Conservancy, in a news release.
Upper West Side and Morningside Heights locations for Summer on the Hudson programming include Pier i near West 70th Street, the 89th Street Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, the 102nd Street Field House, and the 119th Street tennis courts.
There is also a new partnership with the Uptown Film Center, the organization that took over the formerly named Metro Theater, which will present a special outdoor movie screening at the park’s red clay tennis courts near West 96th Street on September 18.
You can check out a full calendar of events — HERE.
SummerStage Series
SummerStage is back in 2026 celebrating its 40th anniversary as an event.
This year’s season will feature more than 60 shows in 13 parks across the five boroughs, including Central Park.
“SummerStage was created to reflect the extraordinary diversity of New York City and its people,” said Joe Killian, SummerStage founder and executive producer (1986-1993) who is also a member of the board of the City Parks Foundation. “This year, as we celebrate 40 years, the festival continues to showcase the sounds of the city, from the streets and clubs to the parks.”
The Central Park performances set for this summer include Yellowcard, New Found Glory, and the Plain White T’s on June 11; the Metropolitan Opera on multiple dates from June through August; Mavis Staples and Brother Wallace on July 16; Blues Traveler on August 15; the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Marquis Hill on August 20; and more.
You can check out the full performance schedule — HERE.
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You could see Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Bob Marley, Patti Smith Group, The Ramones etc etc in the park at Schaeffer/Dr Pepper. Incredible shows diverse iconic artists. For $20 in today’s money. Those were some amazing NYC summers.
Susana Baca on July 26! I assumed they meant it was a tribute but it’s her, still peforming in her 80s 😍
Summerstage has been announcing for months how great this 40th anniversary year will be with legacy acts performing throughout the summer. In days gone by the park got Miles Davis, Zep, Hendrix, Grateful Dead, The Who etc. This year the best Summerstage could do after all their hype is Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Plain White Ts (who are these bands??) and Mavis Staples. This year’s lineup sucks. I guess the person booking Summerstage didn’t realize many bands actually existed and played music before the mid-90s. Pier 17 downtown has many name bands playing. So does Summerstage at the Stone Pony. Actually, many venues all around have amazing lineups except for Central Park’s Summerstage. What a shame. The last two seasons at Summerstage has been scrapping the bottom of the barrel.