Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Performances To Be Announced

New York City’s Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with this upcoming summer season meant to celebrate the foundation’s history with special events and experiences. The first-ever SummerStage show took place in June of 1986, with avant-garde Afrofuturists Sun Ra Arkestra performing at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park.

“SummerStage was created to reflect the extraordinary diversity of New York City and its people,” Joe Killian, SummerStage Founder and Executive Producer (1986-1993) and City Parks Foundation Board Member said in a statement. “For four decades, SummerStage has championed unique collaborations, bold commissions, and has embraced a vibrant mash-up of music, dance, and theater, from pop to rap to jazz and more. It has always been about bringing people together and a shared joy of community among fans and I couldn’t be more proud of the work that has gone into the last 40 years. I’m thrilled to see it continue on for future generations to experience and enjoy.”

SummerStage has launched a landing page to showcase the festival’s history digitally, featuring photo-driven content and fan experiences. As the festival gears up for its 40th season, it promises a lineup will be announced soon. Among its upcoming special events includes a photo exhibition titled, “40 in Focus: SummerStage through the Lens of Photographer Jack Vartoogian,” which will be on view at the Arsenal Gallery. The show is free and open to the public from June 12 to Aug. 12.

“We can’t wait to share what’s in store for our 40th SummerStage anniversary season,” Erika Elliot, Executive Artistic Director at SummerStage said in a statement. “We’ve been working hard to curate a lineup that features iconic artists and longtime friends of the festival as well as fresh, new voices that make our festival as diverse and vibrant as the communities we serve. We’re so excited for a summer-long celebration of the past 40 years with New Yorkers across all five boroughs.”