Contemporary Dance at Bryant Park — Picnic Performances event image

Photo: See-ming Lee from Hong Kong SAR, China · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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Contemporary Dance at Bryant Park — Picnic Performances

In 34 weeks

Midtown

Manhattan

Free

Official site
Free

Bryant Park's free Contemporary Dance series brings New York companies to the lawn stage on early-June evenings — expected the first two weeks of June 2027.

This is the best free dance in the city — full companies (past seasons have featured Limón, Ballet Hispánico, Gibney and others) on an outdoor stage, at dusk, for nothing. Early June evenings are the sweet spot before summer heat. Bring a blanket and a picnic. It's over by 8:30pm, leaving time for a Midtown dinner afterwards.

What to expect

One-hour-plus mixed programs by one or two companies per evening on the lawn stage; free lawn seating with optional reservations.

Good to know

  • 2027 dates not yet announced — based on the annual pattern; confirm on the official site
  • Free; lawn reservations open on bryantpark.org
  • B/D/F/M to 42nd St–Bryant Park
  • Companies announced in spring
  • Chairs on the gravel are first-come

Going? Keep it.

Common questions

Which companies?

Not yet announced; Bryant Park posts the lineup in spring.

Are dates confirmed?

No — they follow the 2026 pattern of June 4, 5 and 11; check the park's site.