Everything You Need To Know About The Celebrate Brooklyn Free (Mostly) Concert Lineup
Nothing says summer like free outdoor concerts, and we’ve got some of the best ones in the city right in Prospect Park. The lineup for Celebrate Brooklyn 2014 has been announced, and the season launches on June 4 with Janelle Monae, and continues through August with mostly free (some not) shows from acts including The National, Neutral Milk Hotel, Dum Dum Girls, Robert Glasper Experiment, and St. Vincent, plus shows for kids, movies with live music, dance, and more.
Here are the 13 most important things you need to know:
1. Don’t drive. Parking in the area, as we know, is not the easiest to find.
2. The closest subway to the Bandshell (at the 9th Street/Prospect Park West entrance) is the F/G at 7th Avenue. Next closest is the 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza, then the B/Q at 7th Ave or Prospect Park.
3. Buses: B61 to Prospect Park West, B68 to Bartel-Pritchard Circle, B69/B67 to 9th Street, B41 to Grand Army Plaza, B16/B43/B48 to Lincoln Road or Empire Blvd.
4. Bike valet and self park/lock is available for up to 400 bicycles thanks to Transportation Alternatives.
5. The “free” shows have a $3 suggested donation, and the paid shows help support the free ones.
6. If you volunteer at a few shows, you can get reserved seats to free shows; volunteer at a lot of shows, you can get free tickets to the paid shows.
7. What’s not allowed: smoking, booze, cans and glass bottles, coolers, pets, recording devices.
8. What is allowed: lawn chairs, strollers, food, non-glass water bottles, umbrellas.
9. There’s food on site from The Farm on Adderley and sweets and snacks from The Good Batch.
10. There are seats (about 2,000) for the free shows, but a small section is reserved, and the rest are first-come, first-served.
11. Gates open one hour prior to showtime, and you can start lining up an hour before the gates open.
12. Performances are rain or shine, but extreme weather can cause a cancellation/rescheduling, which they would announce on Facebook and Twitter.
13. The 2014 Celebrate Brooklyn Lineup
Janelle Monae
Wednesday, June 4, 8pm, FREE
The Soul Rebels / Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen / Lost Bayou Ramblers
Saturday, June 7, 7pm, FREE
Benefit Concert: Jack Johnson, with Bahamas
Tuesday, June 10, 7pm, Tickets are sold out
Celebrate Ornette: The Music Of Ornette Coleman Featuring Denardo Coleman Vibe
Thursday, June 12, 7pm, FREE
Family Concert: Ozomatli’s Ozokidz
Saturday, June 14, 4pm, FREE
Benefit Concert: The National, with special guest Phosphorescent
Tuesady, June 17, 7pm, Tickets are sold out
Benefit Concert: The National, with special guest Lord Huron
Wednesday, June 18, 7pm, Tickets are sold out
Benefit Concert: The National, with special guest MS MR
Thursday, June 19, 7pm, Tickets are sold out
Amos Lee / Lake Street Dive
Friday, June 20, 7:30pm, FREE
Dum Dum Girls / Hospitality / TEEN
Saturday, June 21, 7pm, FREE
Warpaint / Yellowbirds
Thursday, June 26, 7:30pm, FREE
Shovels & Rope / Valerie June / Shakey Graves
Friday, June 27, 7pm, FREE
Luciano / Sandra St. Victor & Oya’s Daughter
Saturday, June 28, 7:30pm, FREE
Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Talib Kweli / Glenn Kotche / Aja Monet
Saturday, July 5, 7pm, FREE
Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas / Choc Quib Town / RVSB Featuring Tina Weymouth
Thursday, July 10, 7pm, FREE
Vote, It Ain’t Illegal Yet!
Friday, July 11, 7:30pm, FREE
Music & Movies: Alloy Orchestra: He Who Gets Slapped / Stephane Wrembel
Saturday, July 12, 7:30pm, FREE
Shen Wei Dance
Thursday, July 17, 8pm, FREE
Bebel Gilberto / Vinicius Cantuaria / Netsayi
Friday, July 18, 7pm, FREE
Deltron 3030 / Nomadic Massive
Saturday, July 19, 7:30pm
Benefit Concert: Neutral Milk Hotel, with Circulatory System
Tuesday, July 22, 7pm, Tickets are sold out
Benefit Concert: Neutral Milk Hotel, with Circulatory System
Wednesday, July 23, 7pm, Tickets are available
Nickel Creek
Thursday, July 24, 7:30pm, FREE
Music & Movies: Amandla: A Revolution In Four-Part Harmony Neo Muyanga & William Kentridge’s Second-Hand Reading
Friday, July 25, 7:30pm, FREE
Benefit Concert: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with Devendra Banhart & Nicole Atkins
Saturday, July 26, 7pm, Tickets are available
Dance Theatre of Harlem / Leyla McCalla
Thursday, July 31, 7:30pm, FREE
Jimmy Bosch y Su Estrellas / Pedrito Martinez Group Featuring Ariance Trujillo
Friday, August 1, 7:30pm, FREE
Kes The Band / Kuenta i Tambu / DJ Dr Wax / Steel Sensations
Saturday, August 2, 7pm, FREE
Altan / Maura O’Connell
Thursday, August 7, 7:30pm, FREE
Music & Movies: Asian Dub Foundation: THX 1138 / Taylor McFerrin
Friday, August 8, 7:30pm, FREE
St. Vincent / San Fermin
Saturday, August 9, 7:30pm, FREE
Photo via Celebrate Brooklyn