DiscOasis Announced For Central Park’s Wollman Rink, Nile Rodgers Named ‘Groovemaster’

The new venture by Constellation Immersive is in partnership with Live Nation and L.A. Media Fund and runs June 16 – Oct. 1 .

Lace up your skates and get ready to roll and bounce! Constellation Immersive and Nile Rodgers are pulling out all the (toe) stops with DiscOasis, a bedazzled, theatrical roller disco experience coming to Central Park’s iconic Wollman Rink June 16-Oct. 1.

The DiscOasis, which is being produced in partnership with Live Nation and Los Angeles Media Fund, is an immersive 2022 take on the ‘70s roller disco phenomenon. The event will offer evening skate times and theatrical performances from an array of DJs, artists, and special guests, as well as daytime open skate sessions, with music curated by Grammy-winning composer, producer, arranger, and event “Groovemaster” Rodgers (CHIC, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga).

Reimagined as a botanical paradise by Tony Award-nominated David Korins with lighting design by award-winning David Weiner, The DiscOasis will include interactive installations inspired by Rodgers’ catalog, a dance floor, live roller-dance performances, food and beverage service, and more. Rodgers is curating a special playlist of skate-worthy, groove-inducing tracks for each night’s local DJ to spin fresh for skaters and dancers.

“I’m a lifelong New Yorker and, for me, Central Park was always the place where big things happened – from watching Sly & the Family Stone and Diana Ross, to sharing the first moon landing and the inaugural Earth Day,” Rodgers said in a release. “Since The DiscOasis is all about celebrating New York culture, there’s no other place for it to be.”

Constellation Immersive’s CEO, Thao Nguyen said, New York’s Central Park was an obvious location given the city’s history as the birthplace of disco and its lengthy connection to urban roller skating in parks, on streets, and at the city’s roller rinks with skating clubs and regular events continuing today. Wollman Rink is an oasis in an oasis with open-air skating year-round under the Manhattan skyline.

The rink opened in 1950 and has been featured in films including Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, and Serendipity. Roller skating’s heyday was the disco era, with infectious, danceable tracks perfect suited for jumps, spins, and the intricate footwork associated with Roller Disco.

The DiscOasis continues the tradition of self-expression and inclusivity while engaging a new generation ready to shuffle.      

“Disco started here in the heart of New York City, inspiring a movement and celebration of inclusiveness, love, and beauty,” said Live Nation’s Geoff Gordon, Regional President Northeast. “The DiscOasis immersive experience, which drew record crowds last summer in Los Angeles, will recreate that magic and bring Disco home to New York City.”

Wollman Rink’s Vice President and General Manager, Stefanie Tomlin added, “After an incredibly hard two years of COVID, where New York City was one of the hardest hit places in the nation, the joy and sense of normalcy that roller skating will bring to the City’s residents and visitors alike is a moment we’ve all been yearning for.”

Following the success of The DiscOasis outing in Los Angeles, where its sold-out run was a 2021 highlight event, Fast Company named Constellation Immersive one of its Top 10 Most Innovative Live Events Companies “for reviving the roller disco and just in time.”  

A portion of the proceeds from The DiscOasis benefits We Are Family Foundation, which was co-founded by Rodgers to create and support programs that promote cultural diversity and empower youth who are changing the world with bold ideas.

For more information, click here.