The best things to do in Manhattan over Labor Day weekend 2026 (Sep 5–7) — hand-curated and refreshed weekly.
27 picks · checked Sep 2
Bryant Park, Midtown, ManhattanBryant Park's first Brass Festival stacks Grammy-nominated New Breed Brass Band, Brooklyn's Aberdeen and the all-female Brass Queens on the lawn.
Bryant Park, Midtown, ManhattanBryant Park's first Brass Festival stacks Grammy-nominated New Breed Brass Band, Brooklyn's Aberdeen and the all-female Brass Queens on the lawn.
Lincoln Square, ManhattanPhotograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLa Boheme closes the Met's 17th Summer HD Festival on Labor Day, screened free on a giant outdoor screen above Josie Robertson Plaza with about 2,500 seats and no tickets required.
Lincoln Square, ManhattanPhotograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLa Boheme closes the Met's 17th Summer HD Festival on Labor Day, screened free on a giant outdoor screen above Josie Robertson Plaza with about 2,500 seats and no tickets required.
Lincoln Square, ManhattanPhotograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Met throws its Live in HD capture of Bellini's I Puritani onto a giant screen over Josie Robertson Plaza. About 2,500 seats go out, admission is free and no tickets or reservations are issued.
Lincoln Square, ManhattanPhotograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Met throws its Live in HD capture of Bellini's I Puritani onto a giant screen over Josie Robertson Plaza. About 2,500 seats go out, admission is free and no tickets or reservations are issued.
The Amph at Little Island, Meatpacking District, ManhattanLaurie Anderson, Davone Tines and a rotating house band reset Allen Ginsberg's poems as songs on Little Island's amphitheatre stage.
The Amph at Little Island, Meatpacking District, ManhattanLaurie Anderson, Davone Tines and a rotating house band reset Allen Ginsberg's poems as songs on Little Island's amphitheatre stage.
One email a week — the best of the NYC weekend board. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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.
Colonels Row, Building 406A, Governors Island, ManhattanMarta Blanco brings a mini big band to Colonels Row for two hours of Latin and contemporary jazz hosted by the Climate Imaginarium.
Colonels Row, Building 406A, Governors Island, ManhattanMarta Blanco brings a mini big band to Colonels Row for two hours of Latin and contemporary jazz hosted by the Climate Imaginarium.
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.
Terminal 5, Hell's Kitchen, ManhattanThe French-Cameroonian R&B star behind Le Temps brings his francophone crowd to Terminal 5 for a rare New York headline night.
Terminal 5, Hell's Kitchen, ManhattanThe French-Cameroonian R&B star behind Le Temps brings his francophone crowd to Terminal 5 for a rare New York headline night.
Palladium Times Square, Times Square, ManhattanLatin singer Luis Angel El Flaco headlines Palladium Times Square, a rare Broadway-block marquee for a Spanish-language dance night.
Palladium Times Square, Times Square, ManhattanLatin singer Luis Angel El Flaco headlines Palladium Times Square, a rare Broadway-block marquee for a Spanish-language dance night.
Irving Plaza, Union Square, ManhattanAsal brings the Kiss the Sun Tour to Irving Plaza, the balconied Union Square room that has launched acts for four decades.
Irving Plaza, Union Square, ManhattanAsal brings the Kiss the Sun Tour to Irving Plaza, the balconied Union Square room that has launched acts for four decades.
Bowery Ballroom, Lower East Side, ManhattanA two-night punk gathering takes over the Bowery Ballroom, with a combined pass for anyone planning to do both evenings.
Bowery Ballroom, Lower East Side, ManhattanA two-night punk gathering takes over the Bowery Ballroom, with a combined pass for anyone planning to do both evenings.
Bryant Park Upper Terrace, Midtown, ManhattanFaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA free upright piano on Bryant Park's Upper Terrace, with a rotating cast of ragtime, stride and boogie-woogie players behind the Bryant statue.
Bryant Park Upper Terrace, Midtown, ManhattanFaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA free upright piano on Bryant Park's Upper Terrace, with a rotating cast of ragtime, stride and boogie-woogie players behind the Bryant statue.
Pier 15, South Street Seaport, ManhattanAn open-air reggaeton party takes over Pier 15 from sunset to midnight on Labor Day Sunday.
Pier 15, South Street Seaport, ManhattanAn open-air reggaeton party takes over Pier 15 from sunset to midnight on Labor Day Sunday.
Blue Note Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, ManhattanFrank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSnarky Puppy drummer Robert Sput Searight leads a percussion-and-horn funk band whose members have backed Prince and Kendrick Lamar.
Blue Note Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, ManhattanFrank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSnarky Puppy drummer Robert Sput Searight leads a percussion-and-horn funk band whose members have backed Prince and Kendrick Lamar.
Palladium Times Square, Times Square, ManhattanThai stars Zee Pruk and NuNew return to the US after three years for a tiered fan meeting with photo and interaction perks.
Palladium Times Square, Times Square, ManhattanThai stars Zee Pruk and NuNew return to the US after three years for a tiered fan meeting with photo and interaction perks.
Gramercy Theatre, Gramercy, ManhattanEmarosa headline the Gramercy on the High Horse Heaven Tour, two decades on from their Kentucky post-hardcore beginnings.
Gramercy Theatre, Gramercy, ManhattanEmarosa headline the Gramercy on the High Horse Heaven Tour, two decades on from their Kentucky post-hardcore beginnings.
Smalls Jazz Club, West Village, ManhattanPianist Chris McCarthy leads a six-piece with vocalist Vanisha Gould and baritone saxophonist Eden Bareket in the Smalls basement.
Smalls Jazz Club, West Village, ManhattanPianist Chris McCarthy leads a six-piece with vocalist Vanisha Gould and baritone saxophonist Eden Bareket in the Smalls basement.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanThe Northern Irish band whose bodhran and accordion shaped Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl plays an early-evening Lower East Side set.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanThe Northern Irish band whose bodhran and accordion shaped Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl plays an early-evening Lower East Side set.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanLes Greene and his band close out the Labor Day weekend at Mercury Lounge with a soul and R&B set in the club's back room.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanLes Greene and his band close out the Labor Day weekend at Mercury Lounge with a soul and R&B set in the club's back room.
Joe's Pub, NoHo, ManhattanDowntown cabaret force Rizo builds a show around charisma and belief, promising a lush room, low lights and absolutely nothing to worry about.
Joe's Pub, NoHo, ManhattanDowntown cabaret force Rizo builds a show around charisma and belief, promising a lush room, low lights and absolutely nothing to worry about.
Patio at Radio Hotel, Washington Heights, ManhattanBachata institution Raulin Rodriguez plays an open-air uptown patio with Frias opening, in the neighbourhood where the genre actually lives.
Patio at Radio Hotel, Washington Heights, ManhattanBachata institution Raulin Rodriguez plays an open-air uptown patio with Frias opening, in the neighbourhood where the genre actually lives.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanFour local bands share the Mercury Lounge back room in an early-evening bill that ends in time for whatever you had planned after.
Mercury Lounge, Lower East Side, ManhattanFour local bands share the Mercury Lounge back room in an early-evening bill that ends in time for whatever you had planned after.
Sony Hall, Times Square, ManhattanReggae and dancehall artist Armanii plays Sony Hall's art-deco basement with a full live band rather than a backing track and a hype man.
Sony Hall, Times Square, ManhattanReggae and dancehall artist Armanii plays Sony Hall's art-deco basement with a full live band rather than a backing track and a hype man.
Dizzy's Club, Columbus Circle, ManhattanTony-nominated singer Ann Hampton Callaway works through Night and Day and a rare posthumous Cole Porter duet high above Columbus Circle.
Dizzy's Club, Columbus Circle, ManhattanTony-nominated singer Ann Hampton Callaway works through Night and Day and a rare posthumous Cole Porter duet high above Columbus Circle.
Get next week's board in your inbox before it publishes — one email, every Thursday.
Big weekends coming up — save them now, plan later.
