Summer Concert Guide
Summer in the city is the best time to get out and experience live music, and New Yorkers will have lots of shows to choose from in 2016. That’s why we curated a schedule of the best summer concerts NYC has to offer in the coming months. The list includes a mix of today’s hottest acts, like Justin Bieber and Beyoncé, indie favorites like Tame Impala and Neko Case, and storied legends like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.
This is only a small selection of summer concerts NYC (and surrounding areas) will host this year, as there are dozens more performances taking place in and around the city in the months ahead. A full schedule of summer concerts in the New York area is also available for those looking for a more complete list of shows.
Otherwise, you can get started browsing the summer concert schedule by scrolling through the list below. If you have a specific artist in mind, you can jump to a specific letter via the alphabetic menu below.
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5 Seconds of Summer
July 10 at PNC Bank Arts Center; July 15 at Madison Square Garden
Australian rock outfit 5 Seconds of Summer will make two stops in the New York area this summer to support its 2015 sophomore effort, “Sounds Good Feels Good.” Expect fans to go wild when the band plays recent hits “Jet Black Heart” and “She’s Kinda Hot.”
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Adele
Sept. 19-26 at Madison Square Garden
Adele will bring her first tour in five years to New York at the end of September. She’ll be headlining an incredible six consecutive shows at Madison Square Garden, and you can bet each one will be packed with fans anxious to hear her powerful voice in person.
At the Drive-In
June 17 at Terminal 5
Legendary post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In is reuniting in 2016, and the band’s lone solo show in New York will take place at Terminal 5 on June 17. The band is working on its first release of new music in 16 years, so this will undoubtedly be one of the most in-demand summer concerts in New York.
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Bad Company and Joe Walsh
June 11 at PNC Bank Arts Center; June 14 at Nikon Jones Beach Theater
New York fans of rock greats Bad Company and Joe Walsh will have two chances to see this epic co-headlining tour this summer. With performances in both New Jersey and New York, the One Hell of a Night Tour promises two nights of rollicking throwback rock and roll in New Jersey and New York.
Barenaked Ladies
June 13 at Central Park Summerstage; June 17 at Bethel Center for the Performing Arts
A new edition of the Barenaked Ladies’ Last Summer on Earth Tour will make its way to two open-air venues in New York this summer. The Canadian alt-rock outfit released “Silverball,” its first album in two years, last June, but fans can expect to hear plenty of sing-along favorites at these outdoor concerts.
Beirut
Aug. 1 at Capitol Theatre Port Chester; Aug. 2 at Prospect Park Bandshell
Led by the golden-throated Zach Condon, Beirut brings its eclectic worldly sounds to two New York cities in August. The band came out with the long-awaited album “No No No” in September, so it’s likely many of the upcoming shows will put a heavy emphasis on Beirut’s newest music.
Beyoncé
June 7-8 at Citi Field
If you haven’t heard about Beyoncé’s 2016 Formation World Tour, you’re probably living under a rock. The undisputed queen of hip-hop is headlining Citi Field solo on June 7-8, and it’s highly likely her new album, featuring the explosive single “Formation,” will be out in time for her New York performances.
Billy Joel
May 27, June 17, July 20, Aug. 9, Sept. 20 at Madison Square Garden
New York staple Billy Joel will continue his record-breaking residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden all summer. If you haven’t already seen the “Piano Man” in concert, these upcoming shows are the perfect time to catch him live in his hometown.
Black Sabbath
Aug. 17 at Nikon Jones Beach Theater; Aug. 23 at PNC Bank Arts Center
It’s time to say farewell to the pioneering heavy metal outfit Black Sabbath. The band is bringing its final The End Tour to the East Coast in late August, so don’t miss the last chances to see the “Prince of Darkness” on stage with longtime collaborators Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi.
Bob Dylan
July 8 at Forest Hills Stadium at West Side Tennis Club
Folk icon Bob Dylan will be headlining the Forest Hills Stadium this July behind his new album, “Fallen Angels.” As a bonus, Chicago gospel and soul legend Mavis Staples is scheduled to open all dates of Dylan’s summer 2016 tour.
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Coldplay
July 16-17 at MetLife Stadium
Coldplay has hinted that its upcoming Head Full of Dreams Tour may be the English rock outfit’s last. If it is, the band is certainly going out in style with a string of stadium shows around the world. Enjoy two of the biggest summer concerts NYC has to offer when you see Coldplay live at MetLife Stadium for two consecutive nights this July.
The Cure
June 18-20 at Madison Square Garden
Another English rock group, The Cure, is headlining three consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden this June. The shows will be part of the post-punk band’s first cohesive tour in nearly a decade, and it’s rumored new music might be released along with the upcoming shows.
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Dave Matthews Band
June 7 at PNC Bank Arts Center; June 21 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
DMB summer tours are the stuff of legend, and New York area fans will have another chance to experience this Virginia band’s life-changing live shows when the group headlines two open-air venues in June.
Dead and Company
June 25-26 at Citi Field
Fans of the Grateful Dead won’t want to miss Dead and Company’s two-night stand at Citi Field in June. Founding Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart will team up with guitarist John Mayer, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and bass guitarist Oteil Burbridge for two nights packed full of Grateful Dead hits.
Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas
July 8 at Barclays Center; July 12 at Prudential Center
Pop icons Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas are joining forces in 2016 for a huge co-headlining tour, which will include two summer concerts around NYC. Expect a non-stop setlist of solo and collaborative hits when you see these former Disney Channel stars live.
Dixie Chicks
June 8 at PNC Bank Arts Center; June 13 at Madison Square Garden
One of the best-selling country groups of all time, the Dixie Chicks are staging a huge reunion tour in 2016. Two stops of their tour will take place in the New York area in what are sure to be two of the area’s biggest shows for country music fans this year.
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Electric Daisy Carnival
May 14-15 at Citi Field
Kick off New York’s summer festival season with passes to see Electric Daisy Carnival at Citi Field. This year’s two-day lineup promises performances from acts like David Guetta, Eric Prydz, Zedd, Dillon Francis, and dozens of others.
Electric Zoo Festival
Sept. 2-4 at Randall’s Island
At the tail end of festival season, Electric Zoo Festival will take over Randall’s Island for three days this September. There’s no more exciting way to spend your Labor Day weekend in New York City than at this three-day EDM party.
Ellie Goulding
June 21 at Madison Square Garden
After a three-year wait, Ellie Goulding finally released her newest album, “Delirium,” in 2015. That means she’ll be touring heavily in the U.S. in the year ahead, including one solo headlining show at New York’s Madison Square Garden in June.
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Florence and the Machine
June 14-15 at Barclays Center
Florence and the Machine released one of their most celebrated albums yet, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” last spring. The album has been big enough to warrant a second round of headlining shows in North America through 2016, including a two-night stand at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
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Governors Ball
June 3-5 at Randall’s Island
The annual Governors Ball Music Festival returns to Randall’s Island this June, bringing with it another stacked lineup that includes hometown garage rock heroes, The Strokes. The rest of the lineup stars Kanye West, The Killers, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Robyn, Chvrches, and many more.
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Janet Jackson
June 24 at PNC Bank Arts Center; June 25 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater; Aug. 15 at Barclays Center; Aug. 17 at Prudential Center
East Coast fans of world-renowned hip-hop star Janet Jackson are getting four chances to see this icon’s long-awaited Unbreakable World Tour in the summer of 2016. The mammoth tour supports Jackson’s album of the same name, which came out in 2015 after a seven-year hiatus.
Jason Aldean
June 17 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater; July 14 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Country giant Jason Aldean brings his We Were Here Tour to New York for two shows this June and July. Featuring supporting acts Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses, the tour takes its name from a single off Aldean’s 2014 album, “Old Boots, New Dirt.” A new Jason Aldean album is expected to drop later this year.
Josh Groban
July 22 at Nikon Jones Beach Theater; July 23 at PNC Bank Arts Center; July 25 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center; July 26 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Still supporting his 2015 album, “Stages,” Josh Groban is headlining four outdoor concerts in the New York area this summer including three in New York (Wantagh, Saratoga Springs, Darien Center) and one in New Jersey (Holmdel).
Justin Bieber
May 4-5 at Barclays Center; July 9 at Prudential Center; July 18-19 at Madison Square Garden
Justin Bieber surprised the world last year when he made a huge comeback with his songs “Where Are U Now” and “What Do U Mean?” Now the pop titan is back and bigger than ever with his Purpose World Tour, which will visit New York, Brooklyn, and Newark this summer.
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Keith Urban
July 16 at PNC Bank Arts Center
After wrapping the final season of “American Idol,” Keith Urban will be setting off on a summer and fall tour to support his forthcoming album, “RipCORD.” An official album release date is still pending as of March 9, but the star has already given us two huge singles: “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Break On Me.”
Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert
Aug. 20 at MetLife Stadium
The double bill of Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert will light up MetLife Stadium for just one night this summer. Also featuring support from Sam Hunt and Old Dominion, this Aug. 20 concert will be one of the biggest for country music fans in the New York area.
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Luke Bryan
June 2 at PNC Bank Arts Center; July 31 at Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center
Luke Bryan is undoubtedly one of today’s kings of country music, and he’s bringing his acclaimed live show to the PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey on June 2 and New York’s Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center on July 31. Anyone who has seen Bryan live can tell you these shows are guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience.
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Modest Mouse and Brand New
July 14 at Madison Square Garden
If you’re an alt-rock fan, it doesn’t get much better than the Modest Mouse and Brand New co-headlining tour that was announced for the summer of 2016. The venture will take over Madison Square Garden on July 14 and will feature separate sets for each band.
Mumford and Sons
June 16-17 at Forest Hills Stadium at West Side Country Club
Folk rock outfit Mumford and Sons will be spending two consecutive nights at the Forest Hills Stadium this June. The band is still touring behind its 2015 album “Wilder Mind,” which introduced a more rock-leaning sound with songs like “Believe” and “The Wolf.”
Mysteryland Festival
June 10-12 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
EDM fans will flock to Bethel, N.Y., this June for the three-day Mysteryland Festival. Over the weekend of June 10-12, fans will see sets from headliners Odesza, Skrillex, and Bassnectar, as well as The Chainsmokers, Griz, Gramatik, Zeds Dead, and more.
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Neko Case
July 26 at Prospect Park Bandshell
Indie rock darling Neko Case is bringing her solo tour to the Prospect Park Bandshell this summer for one night only. Her most recent album, “The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You,” dropped in 2013 to become her second straight No. 1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart.
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Paul Simon
June 30-July 1 at Forest Hills Stadium at West Side Tennis Club
Paul Simon is an unstoppable American songwriting legend, and he’s gearing up to release his 13th solo studio album in the spring. As part of his supporting 2016 tour, Simon is playing two hometown summer concerts in NYC’s neighboring Forest Hills.
Pearl Jam
May 1-2 at Madison Square Garden
A band that needs no introduction, Pearl Jam will be headlining Madison Square Garden for two nights in early May. If you’ve never seen Eddie Vedder and Co. perform live, these upcoming shows should be at the top of your list of things to do this summer.
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Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band
June 5, 7 at Capitol Theatre Port Chester; June 15 at St. George Theater
The much-loved former Beatle Ringo Starr is bringing his All Starr Band back on the road this summer to perform more classic rock hits live. This year’s lineup includes Todd Rundgren, Richard Page, Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie, Warren Ham, and Gregg Bissonette.
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Selena Gomez
June 1 at Barclays Center; June 2 at Prudential Center
Selena Gomez’s Revival Tour is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest pop concert ventures. The Texas native will headline two New York-area arena concerts this summer, and recent hits like “Same Old Love” and “Good for You” are guaranteed to be on each setlist.
Sting and Peter Gabriel
June 24 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater; June 27 at Madison Square Garden
Just two years after his co-headlining trek with Paul Simon, British rock icon Sting is teaming up with longtime friend and fellow classic rock favorite Peter Gabriel for a new joint venture. The powerful double bill has two shows lined up for the NYC area this summer, and each night will feature a mix of solo and collaborative sets.
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Tame Impala
June 14-15 at Prospect Park Bandshell
Tame Impala is one of the most inventive rock outfits active today, and the Australian band has been tabbed for two back-to-back concerts at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Bandshell this June. Don’t miss the chance to hear live cuts off their latest GRAMMY-nominated album, “Currents.”
Twenty One Pilots
Aug. 10-11 at Madison Square Garden
Ohio’s own Twenty One Pilots has skyrocketed to fame over the last few years. Coming off 2015’s hit album “Blurryface,” the band will graduate to its first headlining shows at Madison Square Garden this August.
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Walk the Moon
July 27 at Hammerstein Ballroom; August 4 at Stone Pony
Hailing from Cincinnati, Walk the Moon exploded in popularity last summer with the hit single “Shut Up and Dance.” This year, the band is playing two summer concerts near NYC in support of its third studio album, “Talking Is Hard.”
Wolf Parade
May 17-21 at Bowery Ballroom
It’s been more than five years since critically acclaimed rock outfit Wolf Parade released its last studio album, but the band is back from hiatus in a big way. The group is scheduled to headline an impressive five consecutive nights at Bowery Ballroom this May in what will be a must-see for any fans of the band.
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Zac Brown Band
July 22 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts; Aug. 19 at Citi Field
Atlanta’s Zac Brown Band dropped “Jekyll and Hyde,” its first album in three years, last spring, and the group is still celebrating its third chart-topping album on the road. This is the second year in a row the band will headline Citi Field, but they’ll also be stopping at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts for fans farther north of NYC.
