Little Island stays open past midnight on Fridays, which almost nobody realises, and Soul Connection is the set that takes the last slot on the open-air Play Ground stage. The crowd by then has thinned to the people who came to dance rather than the people who came to look at the park, and the Hudson is black behind the stage with New Jersey lit up across it. If you want to end a Friday somewhere genuinely unusual and free, this is the city's best-kept late option.
What to expect
The Play Ground is the smaller of Little Island's stages, open to the sky at the park's north end. The late set runs past midnight with a dancing crowd rather than a seated one. It is free with park entry, though Little Island can require timed passes on busy nights.
Good to know
- Little Island is at 13th Street and the Hudson; the A/C/E or L to 14th Street then walk west
- Free with park entry, but check whether a timed pass is needed that night
- It runs late — plan the trip home before you go
- Outdoors and by the river, so it gets cold after midnight
- Standing and dancing rather than seated
- Follows the earlier Friday nightlife sets, so you can arrive for the whole run
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Common questions
How late does it run?
It is the closing late set of Little Island's Friday-night programming, starting around 11:30pm.
Is there a cover?
No — it is free with entry to Little Island, though the park may issue timed entry passes on busy nights.
Is it indoors?
No. The Play Ground is an open-air stage, so the night is weather-dependent.
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