The Beat

Saturday, June 20, 2026, 1:00PM

Coney Island USA, April 27 — Coney Island USA, the non-profit multi-arts organization headquartered in the heart of Coney Island’s famed amusement district, is planning on staging its 44th Annual Mermaid Parade on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

Attendance grew 105% in a year, and opening day of Stories and Set Designs for the Sopranos on February 14, 2026, marked highest single-day attendance in the Museum’s history

Astoria, New York, April 23, 2026 — Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) announces record attendance, with a total of 311,000 visitors in 2025. Not only does that figure exceed pre-pandemic numbers, but it also reflects a 105% increase from 2024 and a 147% increase from 2023. Based on a visitor experience analysis conducted by Coda Societies in conjunction with MoMI, New York City residents make up 61.4% of general admission, 89.6% of film program attendees, 89.5% of Museum members, and 78.9% of family visitors.

July 20–August 16 at AMT Theater in the Theater District

New York, N.Y. - AI replaces every human job overnight. A queer musician is trapped in his childhood home in Tennessee during the pandemic. And a FDNY lieutenant spends Christmas Eve at Ground Zero, looking for the remains of his fallen brother at the 2026 Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (BBTF). In this bold and eclectic lineup, the human condition is on full display as a dynamic mix of new plays and musicals light up the stage.

New York, NY) Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 — Following sold-out performances and five-star acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, comedian, actor, and writer Liz Coin brings her internationally celebrated solo show Lizzy Sunshine back to New York for a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse from May 6–16.

Arriving in NYC during Mental Health Awareness Month, Lizzy Sunshine is a fast-paced, interactive comedy that explores a rarely discussed perspective: what it means to love someone struggling with addiction—and the emotional coping mechanisms that come with it.

IN THE DEVIL’S HANDS

Performing at the New Performance Space Zoopraxic in Long Island City, May 20 – June 7

Long Island City, N.Y. - Travel back to the 1940s Channel Islands in Helen Banner’s electrifying new play In the Devil’s Hands, making its world premiere. Banner also directs and serves as production designer. Layering voices from the past and present, this intimate, immersive production features live sound performance by composer Joshua Dumas.

The Winter’s Tale at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, June 10–11, 2026

New York, NY - Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance (CLD) returns to New York City with performances of its acclaimed full-length theater-dance work, The Winter’s Tale, on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11 at 7:30 PM at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music (450 W 37th Street, NYC). Set to an original score by renowned composer Martin Bresnick, conducted by Lisa Moore and performed live each evening by a sextet chamber ensemble,The Winter’s Tale exemplifies CLD’s longstanding commitment to the dynamic interplay between dance and live music.

Free Shakespeare in the Park Ticket Voucher Distributions Return to Citizens Branches and Community Sites Across All Five Boroughs with Expanded Access

Kickoff Celebration and Summer Fridays Celebrate the People of New York City and the Revitalized Delacorte Theater

New York, N.Y. (April 21, 2026) – The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham), alongside returning Shakespeare For the City Presenting Partner Citizens, will welcome more New Yorkers than ever this summer to SHAKESPEARE FOR THE CITY taking place in parks and plazas across New York City and at the revitalized Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Running from May 22 through September 8, the summer celebration will bring free world-class theater to more than 130,000 people across the city, with productions of ROMEO & JULIET, THE WINTER’S TALE, and AS YOU LIKE IT, with an original Public Works production to be announced. The Jerome L. Greene Foundation returns as Lead Sponsor of Free Shakespeare in the Park.

Ninth Annual Dumbo Drop Events Take Place at 5pm and 7pm on Washington Street in Dumbo

Dumbo,​ ​Brooklyn (April 21, 2026)​ — Brooklyn’s flying elephant fundraising spectacle, the annual Dumbo Drop, is back on Friday, May 29, 2026 with two drops at 5pm and 7pm of thousands of parachuting toy elephants from the rooftops surrounding Washington Street, the borough’s most iconic block.

Brooklyn, NY — The much anticipated 26th Annual Coney Island Film Festival will take place May 1–3, 2026 in the historic seaside neighborhood of Coney Island, Brooklyn. This year’s festival will feature 92 films across various genres, celebrating independent cinema in all its forms. Presented by indiefilmpage.com and Coney Island USA, the festival once again celebrates the intersection of independent film and the vibrant culture of Coney Island.

Backyard at Hudson Yards Presented by Wells Fargo Returns on May 1 offering free Concerts, Sports Watch Parties, Family Fun Events, Fitness Classes, and more

New York City (April 16, 2026) — Today, Hudson Yards, New York City’s premier shopping and outdoor entertainment destination, announces its 2026 programming season for Backyard at Hudson Yards presented by Wells Fargo. The seasonal series returns with a robust lineup of free experiences, including live concerts, fitness classes with leading wellness brands, sports watch parties on the 30-foot Big Screen, and special programming with partners like Reese’s Book Club and Carnegie Hall Citywide.