The best things to do in New York City over Labor Day weekend 2026 (Sep 5–7) — concerts, festivals, art, markets, and free outdoor events, hand-curated and re-verified right up to the holiday.
402 picks · checked Aug 25
Brooklyn Museum, Crown Heights, BrooklynMasqueraders up to age 17 parade in full costume from Kingston Avenue down Franklin to the Brooklyn Museum in Carnival's children's edition.
Brooklyn Museum, Crown Heights, BrooklynMasqueraders up to age 17 parade in full costume from Kingston Avenue down Franklin to the Brooklyn Museum in Carnival's children's edition.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QueensThird-round singles inside Arthur Ashe, the largest tennis stadium in the world, with grounds access to Armstrong and the outer courts.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QueensThird-round singles inside Arthur Ashe, the largest tennis stadium in the world, with grounds access to Armstrong and the outer courts.
Barclays Center, Prospect Heights, BrooklynRobyn brings the sexistential tour to Barclays Center with Yaeji opening, her first Brooklyn arena run in years and a full production.
Barclays Center, Prospect Heights, BrooklynRobyn brings the sexistential tour to Barclays Center with Yaeji opening, her first Brooklyn arena run in years and a full production.
Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills, QueensRauw Alejandro headlines the global debut of Red Bull Chapters, a three-act show tracing his past, present and future at Forest Hills Stadium.
Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills, QueensRauw Alejandro headlines the global debut of Red Bull Chapters, a three-act show tracing his past, present and future at Forest Hills Stadium.
Delacorte Theater, Central Park, Manhattan100-plus New Yorkers from all five boroughs record a live album onstage at the Delacorte — the Public's free season-closing pageant, five nights only.
Delacorte Theater, Central Park, Manhattan100-plus New Yorkers from all five boroughs record a live album onstage at the Delacorte — the Public's free season-closing pageant, five nights only.
34th Avenue Open Street, Jackson Heights, QueensUnicycle basketball, races and a learn-to-ride area take over 34th Avenue's mile-plus open street in Jackson Heights for the festival's 17th year.
34th Avenue Open Street, Jackson Heights, QueensUnicycle basketball, races and a learn-to-ride area take over 34th Avenue's mile-plus open street in Jackson Heights for the festival's 17th year.
This list keeps changing as events are verified. We'll send you the final version the Thursday before — and you can unsubscribe right after if that's all you need.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynSteel orchestras roll their pan racks onto the Brooklyn Museum lawn and battle for the New York Panorama crown until one in the morning.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynSteel orchestras roll their pan racks onto the Brooklyn Museum lawn and battle for the New York Panorama crown until one in the morning.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynKes The Band, Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons and WCK play a seven-hour soca marathon on the Brooklyn Museum grounds for Carnival week.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynKes The Band, Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons and WCK play a seven-hour soca marathon on the Brooklyn Museum grounds for Carnival week.
The Mets host the Giants at Citi Field in an afternoon start, one 7 train stop past the US Open grounds in Flushing Meadows.
The Mets host the Giants at Citi Field in an afternoon start, one 7 train stop past the US Open grounds in Flushing Meadows.
Madison Square Garden, Midtown, ManhattanAjay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHarry Styles plays back-to-back Garden nights on his 30-show residency — his only U.S. dates this year, with Jamie xx opening both.
Madison Square Garden, Midtown, ManhattanAjay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHarry Styles plays back-to-back Garden nights on his 30-show residency — his only U.S. dates this year, with Jamie xx opening both.
Barclays Center, Prospect Heights, BrooklynDon Toliver brings the Nitrous leg of the Octane World Tour to Barclays Center, with Chase B and friends running a DJ set beforehand.
Barclays Center, Prospect Heights, BrooklynDon Toliver brings the Nitrous leg of the Octane World Tour to Barclays Center, with Chase B and friends running a DJ set beforehand.
Oculus Plaza, World Trade Center, Financial District, ManhattanDozens of independent food vendors set up outdoors at Oculus Plaza, World Trade Center for the Friday Smorgasburg market.
Oculus Plaza, World Trade Center, Financial District, ManhattanDozens of independent food vendors set up outdoors at Oculus Plaza, World Trade Center for the Friday Smorgasburg market.
Historic Richmond Town, Richmondtown, Staten IslandA 25-acre country fair inside NYC's only living-history village, with 100-plus vendors, carnival rides and competitive eating contests.
Historic Richmond Town, Richmondtown, Staten IslandA 25-acre country fair inside NYC's only living-history village, with 100-plus vendors, carnival rides and competitive eating contests.
Knockdown Center, Maspeth, QueensThe UK dance legends close their sold-out two-night Labor Day stand at Knockdown Center — two full sets, no opener, their only U.S. headline shows of 2026.
Knockdown Center, Maspeth, QueensThe UK dance legends close their sold-out two-night Labor Day stand at Knockdown Center — two full sets, no opener, their only U.S. headline shows of 2026.
Pacha New York, East Williamsburg, BrooklynThe Grammy-winning French duo take over the decks at Pacha New York on Labor Day Saturday, with hometown provocateur The Dare sharing the bill until 4 AM.
Pacha New York, East Williamsburg, BrooklynThe Grammy-winning French duo take over the decks at Pacha New York on Labor Day Saturday, with hometown provocateur The Dare sharing the bill until 4 AM.
iDen's Beijing Duck House, Midtown, ManhattanThe dining room that housed La Grenouille for six decades reopened September 1 as a Beijing duck house. The chef ran the kitchen at Taiwan's first three-Michelin-star restaurant.
iDen's Beijing Duck House, Midtown, ManhattanThe dining room that housed La Grenouille for six decades reopened September 1 as a Beijing duck house. The chef ran the kitchen at Taiwan's first three-Michelin-star restaurant.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynLast chance: the Brooklyn Museum's bicentennial survey of 200 years of collecting — with KAWS, Duke Riley and Tourmaline — closes Sunday after an extended run.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, BrooklynLast chance: the Brooklyn Museum's bicentennial survey of 200 years of collecting — with KAWS, Duke Riley and Tourmaline — closes Sunday after an extended run.
LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park, Prospect Park, BrooklynEpicgenius · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLucie Tiberghien directs Molière's most subversive play outdoors at Lakeside, with live cello by Johnathan Moore — free with an RSVP.
LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park, Prospect Park, BrooklynEpicgenius · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLucie Tiberghien directs Molière's most subversive play outdoors at Lakeside, with live cello by Johnathan Moore — free with an RSVP.
Blue Note Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, ManhattanThe rapper behind 1999 and B4.Da.$$ squeezes into the 200-seat Blue Note for two nightly sets rather than an arena stage.
Blue Note Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, ManhattanThe rapper behind 1999 and B4.Da.$$ squeezes into the 200-seat Blue Note for two nightly sets rather than an arena stage.
Brooklyn Paramount, Downtown Brooklyn, BrooklynJoy Division and New Order's founding bassist plays the restored Brooklyn Paramount, hammering those melodic basslines through a full band set.
Brooklyn Paramount, Downtown Brooklyn, BrooklynJoy Division and New Order's founding bassist plays the restored Brooklyn Paramount, hammering those melodic basslines through a full band set.
Yankee Stadium, Concourse, BronxNew York City FC hosts Nashville SC at Yankee Stadium, an MLS match staged on a converted baseball diamond in the South Bronx.
Yankee Stadium, Concourse, BronxNew York City FC hosts Nashville SC at Yankee Stadium, an MLS match staged on a converted baseball diamond in the South Bronx.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QueensRound-of-16 singles at Arthur Ashe with the draw down to sixteen players a side, plus grounds access to Armstrong and the outer courts.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QueensRound-of-16 singles at Arthur Ashe with the draw down to sixteen players a side, plus grounds access to Armstrong and the outer courts.
Film Forum, Hudson Square, ManhattanCoppola's 1992 vampire fever dream in a 35mm print, closing out a Saturday of the Film Forum retrospective. Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and practically no digital anything.
Film Forum, Hudson Square, ManhattanCoppola's 1992 vampire fever dream in a 35mm print, closing out a Saturday of the Film Forum retrospective. Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and practically no digital anything.
46th Avenue street fair site, Long Island City, QueensJAPAN Fes brings 18 Japanese street-food vendors to 46th Avenue in Hunters Point — and unlike most editions, this one runs into the night, until 10pm.
46th Avenue street fair site, Long Island City, QueensJAPAN Fes brings 18 Japanese street-food vendors to 46th Avenue in Hunters Point — and unlike most editions, this one runs into the night, until 10pm.
This list keeps changing as events are verified. We'll send you the final version the Thursday before — and you can unsubscribe right after if that's all you need.
Big weekends coming up — save them now, plan later.
