Central Park Music & Performance: Jul 13–19 — SummerStage, a Great Lawn concert & salsa

        Hi music fans — a genuinely rich week: two SummerStage nights at Rumsey, a free orchestral concert on the Great Lawn, salsa and tango at the Bandshell, and folkdancers to close it out. The heat is real, but every marquee show is in the evening when it cools.

Weather this week
A heat wave peaks at 98°F on Wed 7/15 before easing into the low 90s and breaking with Saturday showers. Every headline show lands in the evening or the cooler weekend, so bring water for Wednesday’s SummerStage set and keep an eye on Saturday’s afternoon storm chance for the Anjunadeep show.

Wed Jul 15 — SummerStage: Morocco at Rumsey, 6 PM
The week’s standout. Hoba Hoba Spirit with Hamid El Kasri bring Moroccan rock and Gnawa music to Rumsey Playfield (“Morocco: From Dakhla to Casablanca”) — a free SummerStage benefit night. It’s the hottest day of the summer, so hydrate, but the music is worth the heat.

Thu Jul 16 — Free concert on the Great Lawn, 7 PM
A free orchestral concert on the Great Lawn at 7 PM — the classic summer-evening-on-the-grass experience. Arrive early with a blanket; the lawn fills fast for these.

Fri Jul 17 — Carlos Konig Salsa at the Bandshell, 5 PM
Salsa takes Bandshell Plaza at 5 PM — bring dancing shoes or just soak up the rhythm section on the Mall as the day cools.

Sat Jul 18 — SummerStage: Anjunadeep Open Air, 3 PM
Anjunadeep: Open Air New York City brings the melodic-house label to Rumsey Playfield for an afternoon-into-evening set (from 3 PM). Watch the forecast — afternoon showers are possible — but this is the electronic-music event of the week. Later, tango plays at the Shakespeare statue at 6 PM if you want a gentler second act.

Sun Jul 19 — Central Park International Folkdancers, 11 AM
The folkdancers gather at King Jagiello Plaza (by the Turtle Pond) at 11 AM — live traditional music and open dancing, a warm way to close the week.

Also on all week
The Arsenal Gallery’s “40 in Focus: SummerStage through the Lens of Photographer Jack Vartoogian” is open daily from 9 AM — four decades of concert photography from the series, a perfect indoor (air-conditioned) companion to the live shows.

Quick recap

  SummerStage: Morocco (Hoba Hoba Spirit / Hamid El Kasri) Wed 6 PM; Anjunadeep Open Air Sat 3 PM — both at Rumsey.
  Free Great Lawn concert Thu 7 PM — arrive early.
  Bandshell: salsa Fri 5 PM, tango Sat 6 PM; folkdancers Sun 11 AM at King Jagiello.
  Arsenal Gallery SummerStage photography exhibit, daily — cool and free.

Enjoy the music,
The Central Park Guide