Today, Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, announced that it will now be the exclusive booking partner for the nonprofit Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage festival, one of New York’s most beloved outdoor concert experiences. Ahead of the 2023 summer season, Live Nation will now be responsible for booking all ticketed benefit concerts between June and October at the flagship Rumsey Playfield site in New York’s iconic Central Park.
Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage. The live shows bring renowned artists and rising global stars to Central Park and local neighborhood parks, presenting distinctly New York genres — salsa, jazz, and hip hop — alongside indie, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, contemporary dance, and more. With a focus on creating community and ensuring access to culture, SummerStage presents free performances throughout all five boroughs of New York City, and works with promoters like Live Nation to present benefit events in Central Park.
“We are thrilled to partner with Live Nation for our 2023 and 2024 SummerStage benefit concerts in Central Park,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “These ticketed concerts help support our free performances in parks across New York City. Live Nation has a fantastic roster of artists whom we are certain will follow in the SummerStage tradition by including some of the most important legacy artists and today’s hottest young musicians, attracting New Yorkers of all ages, while also helping raise money to keep the majority of our festival free-of-charge for everyone.”
“Being a New Yorker for over 10 years now, I’ve spent plenty of nights at SummerStage shows and have witnessed first-hand the significant upgrades City Parks Foundation has implemented to the venue over the last 3 years,” says Stacie George, SVP Bookings, Northeast. “It’s truly an honor and a privilege to book the most prestigious play in New York City’s Central Park and we’re already looking ahead to the 2023 summer season, aiming to make it the best one yet.”
In 2019, SummerStage’s flagship venue in Central Park reopened after undergoing a major $5.5 million transformation that included a new, larger stage and a new sound system, enhanced stage and venue lighting, LED screens, new and raised seating areas, additional concession areas, and improved dressing rooms and production spaces. In 2022 the venue renovated its VIP space with an expansion of the member lounge to include a covered seating area with an additional viewing deck. Next, it plans to upgrade its electrical systems and improve ground stabilization.
About City Parks Foundation
City Parks Foundation is dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Its programs — located in hundreds of parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City — reach thousands of people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.
About SummerStage
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is one of New York’s most beloved, broadly accessible, free outdoor performing arts festivals. SummerStage annually presents nearly 90 free and benefit performances in Central Park and neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs to more than 217,000 fans. With performances in genres that represent the cultural fabric of New York City ranging from jazz, hip hop, Latin, and African, to indie and contemporary dance, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City’s summer arts festival landscape. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage.
About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
Media Contacts:
City Parks Foundation
Jeanna Chin | jchin@cityparksfoundation.org
Live Nation Concerts
Monique Sowinski | moniquesowinski@livenation.com
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