The Beat

Launch of new season of Open Worlds free community programs, Curators’ Choice screening series, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day programs

Astoria, New York, January 7, 2026 — Museum of the Moving Image starts the new year with a look back at some of the best films released in 2025, many with filmmakers in person; launches an expanded season of Open Worlds, featuring free community programs; presents its annual celebration commemorating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a free family day and special screenings; explores the first decade of immersive documentary with Inside the Story, a convening of artists and filmmakers; and more.

Limited Engagement: January 14–16 in New York City

New York, N.Y. - Suzanne Bachner’s award-winning play CIRCLE returns to New York City for a limited preview engagement ahead of its August run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The acclaimed production previously enjoyed a five-month Off-Broadway run, extensive national performances, and a four-month, seven-city sold-out international tour. Longtime collaborators Anna Bridgforth and Bob Brader star in the two-hander.

160 narrative, documentary, and Midnight features, family films, pilots, and shorts kicking off the new year (January 15-18)

Recently cited as one of MovieMaker’s “Coolest” film festivals, DWF: NY will feature 30 Feature-length films, and television/web series pilots making World Premieres

New York, NY – Dances With Films announced the film lineup for the 4th New York City edition of the bicoastal indie-film focused film festival juggernaut. January 15-18 will kick off the new year with several feature-length narratives, documentaries, and midnight films making their debut, with pilots, family films, and short films also enjoying the singular cinema showcase that DWF provides as part of the only true-indie film festival with a foothold in both Los Angeles and New York City. Dominik Sedlar’s Vindicta is the Opening Night feature selection, and Salvatore Sciortino’s Roof will make its world premiere as the Closing Night selection.

Bookings for NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week Open Today at NYCtourism.com   

Value Offers Available from January 20 through February 12

NYC Hotel Week Is Underway Offering 25% Off at Participating Hotels Through February 12

New York City (January 7, 2026) — New York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, today announced the start of reservations for NYC Winter Outing^SM 2026. The program runs from January 20 through February 12, offering savings on experiences across all five boroughs, including prix-fixe NYC Restaurant Week® menus at nearly 600 restaurants; 2-for-1 tickets to 26 NYC Broadway Week^SM shows; and 2-for-1 tickets to nearly 80 NYC Must-See Week^SM museums, attractions, tours and performing arts. NYC Hotel Week^SM, also part of NYC Winter Outing, is already underway offering 25% off standard retail rates at more than 150 hotels.

A Breathtaking Display of Orchids and a Love Letter to New York, from February 7 through April 26, 2026

On Select Evenings, Experience Orchid Nights, “the Lushest Bar in Town,” with the First on March 21, 2026

Bronx, NY—Tickets for The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) are now on sale. The 23rd edition of NYBG’s annual celebration of all things orchids runs from February 7 through April 26, 2026. Step into a dazzling floral dreamscape, where street scenes become floral dreams as visionary designer and native New Yorker Mr. Flower Fantastic transforms NYBG’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a breathtaking orchid tribute to the spirit, style, and streetscape of our beloved metropolis, N.Y.C.

Arturo O ’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Free Concert Series at El Museo’s El Teatro: January 9 & 10, March 13 & 14, May 15 & 16

New York, N.Y. (December 15, 2025) — Belongó (formerly the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance), a non-profit institution dedicated to performing, educating about, and preserving the music of all of the Americas emanating from African and indigenous roots through the entry point of jazz, and El Museo del Barrio, the nation’s leading Latine and Latin American cultural institution, are proud to announce a new multi-engagement concert residency in 2026, bringing two of New York City’s most influential Pan Latin cultural institutions into closer alignment at a pivotal moment of growth for both organizations.

Including Curators’ Choice series, new dates for First Look festival, and more in January–April 2026​
Plus, the call for submissions for Marvels of Media Festival, a celebration of autistic media-makers, closes January 31, with festival dates set for March 26–28

Astoria, New York, December 17, 2025 — In early 2026, Museum of the Moving Image’s film programming will feature its annual Curators’ Choice series, a showcase of some of the best releases of 2025, many with filmmakers in person; the screening series 2001: The Year, Not the Movie, honoring the 25th anniversaries of films released in the year 2001; a weekend of films on the occasion of Marilyn Monroe’s centenary; the 15th edition of First Look festival—with new dates and format; and the 5th Marvels of Media Festival, celebrating the work of autistic media-makers.

Dedicated to the Nation’s Founding Principles, New Facility Will Open as the United States Celebrates Its 250th Anniversary

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New York, NY (December 9, 2025) — Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical, today announced that the institution will open its new Tang Wing for American Democracy on June 18, 2026, greatly expanding both the landmark building and The Historical’s wide-ranging schedule of exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public programs. Dedicated to the history and future of the nation’s founding principles, the 71,000-square-foot Tang Wing will open as the United States launches the celebration of its 250th anniversary.

Additional UMusic Shop imagery HERE; Exclusive UMG x Awake NY capsule imagery HERE

New York & London (December 10, 2025) – Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, in partnership with UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle, its entertainment driven hospitality venture, today announced the opening of two new UMusic Shop locations in New York and London, dedicated to reimagining the fan experience.

New York, N.Y. (December 9, 2025) — The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), New York’s longest-running showcase dedicated to global stories spotlighting the human experience of people of color, proudly welcomes an exciting slate of filmmakers and creators for its Closing Weekend events. As the festival enters its final days, audiences can look forward to powerful screenings, insightful conversations, and talent whose work challenges convention, expands representation, and deepens our understanding of the human experience of people of color.