Looking for what to do in NYC today, or this week, or weekend (7/20-7/26)? There's tons of things to do in New York, like festivals, pop ups, photo ops, and more. We've got the full roundup of New York activities here.

• Things to do in NYC this weekend
• Cultural things to do in NYC
• Immersive things to do in NYC
• Even more things to do in NYC
• Live performances this week in NYC

THINGS TO DO IN NYC THIS WEEK AND WEEKEND  

CITY OF WATER DAY

Photo by Whitney Browne.

Celebrate NYC's 1,600 miles of coastline on Saturday at the 19th annual City of Water Day. Access waterfronts all around the city, with dozens of activities like free kayaking and rowing and hands-on workshops.

POP UP MARKET

Governors Island is always an attractive staycation. This weekend you can get a little shopping in as FAD Market pops up along tree-lined King Avenue. Both Saturday and Sunday you'll find 40+ local vendors offering handcrafted jewelry, art, apparel, bath and body care, home goods, and artisanal foods.

SUNSET CONCERT

Brooklyn Americana Music returns to curate a free sunset concert at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Friday night. Take in the views at Pier 3 Greenway Terrace and enjoy sets by New Orleans-based jazz singer Aurora Nealand and New York vintage jazz/modern blues singer Saudia Young.

ZOMBIE DAY AT THE BEACH

dotpolka/Flickr

Come see the undead vie for prizes in categories like "Pet Sematary" and "Most Decayed" as Coney Island hosts a Beach Zombie Look Alike Contest on Sunday. Kings County Brewers Collective and Coney Island USA, producers of the Mermaid Parade and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, are the hosts.

POWWOW

Celebrate American Indian culture through music, dance, and food. This Friday through Sunday, the Queens County Farm Museum hosts intertribal Native American dance competitions by more than 40 Indian Nations, plus an expansive market of authentic Native American art, crafts, jewelry, and food (don’t miss the fry bread!).

CARIBBEAN FEST

KokoFest is back for its sixth year on Saturday. NYC's premier Caribbean cultural festival is a full-day outdoor celebration of culture, flavor, and rhythm—expect food vendors, sips and tastings, and live performances all the way through.

MUSEUM OF THE WEEK

Morris-Jumel Mansion was at one time George Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters and it's Manhattan’s oldest residence. This Friday, for one night only, it returns to its roots as an Olde New York City Tavern. Step back in time for historic music, entertainment, and plenty of bites and drinks—Aaron Burr Cidery, Other Half Brewing Co., and The Wandering Shuckers are among the benefit’s partners.

LIVE ON STAGE

Indulge your senses at City Winery New York City, on the Hudson River waterfront. Live music or comedy can be found on two stages nightly. On Saturday, catch Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and storyteller Melanie Fiona, whose soulful voice and emotional honesty have captivated audiences worldwide. Sunday mornings feature the Beatles Brunch with Strawberry Fields, with cast members from the hit musical Beatlemania. On Tuesday, don’t miss “a master magician of the digital age”­—Anna De Guzman is leading a new generation of performers as one of the world’s premier female masters of “cardistry,” redefining modern sleight of hand.

ROLLER DREAM STAYCATION

Vinyl Nights at Xanadu celebrates the Golden Era of the Classic NYC Roller skating scene from the 1970s to the 1990s. Roller boogie to the hits that shaped NYC: disco, funk & soul, house, boogie, and '80s and '90s hip hop. It's a vibrant, joyful, inclusive dance party and a celebration of "Everything New York." Club Tropicana Night takes place on Friday night in Bushwick, dress code is tropical—enter the costume contest and win a pair of fabulous Lime Spritzer Impala Skates!

COMEDY + AFTERPARTY

The Pregame, Marcello Hernandez (photo credit: JT Anderson).

The Pregame is a monthly stand-up comedy show that ends with a themed afterparty! This month’s party is a ’90s Throwback, so dust off your windbreakers, denim jackets, flannels, bucket hats, or anything that screams the decade of VHS tapes, TRL, and Saturday morning cartoons. Come for an incredible lineup of comedians, then stick around as we turn back the clock with ’90s music, nostalgia, and plenty of chances to show off your best retro look. The lineup of comics includes Alex Quow, Glory Mora, Rosey Catherine, Eric Walsh, Drew Beekler, David Jinn, and Brent Birnbaum. It'll be held this Friday, July 24th at 9pm on the rooftop of 112 Stanton St. on the Lower East Side. Tickets $20.

HARLEM SUMMER NIGHTS

The weekly residency Harlem Summer Nights at the 125th Street Viaduct has launched. You'll find live music, 50+ local food vendors, DJs, and the block in full motion. Seven Fridays, through August 21st.

NEW INSTALLATION

Photo credit: Impulse by Lateral Office & CS Design–New York, 2026 © Nick Karp.

The 34th Street Partnership presents a new Instagram photo op this week as it launches eight giant seesaws in Herald Square Park. Free and open to the public through August 21st, you'll encounter a colorful light and sound show as you ride.

LIVE MUSIC AL FRESCO

For the next three Thursdays, catch a downtown tradition: the River & Blues Concert Series. Global and American folk, roots, and blues music join Hudson River sunsets in Wagner Park. Through July 30th.

CELEBRATING MARILYN

Timed to her centennial, Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon is a free immersive cultural exhibition that reveals the strategist, thinker, reader, and dreamer behind one of the world's most enduring figures. It's on view now at Genesis House (along with a special Monroe-inspired menu at the restaurant). Through September 6th.

NEW FOOD HALL

Shaver Hall is now open, bringing serious food, great drinks, and live music to Fifth Avenue. Set inside the former Lord & Taylor, this versatile space runs from a cup of joe in the morning to handmade pasta, bagels, ramen, tacos, pizza, Indian comfort food, chef-led omakase, a cheese conveyor belt, and multiple bars. Tallow Steakhouse, shown here, is aiming to deliver the city’s finest prix-fixe steak frites experience—think USDA prime, hand-cut fries, and wines to match, all at an approachable price.

LIVE ON STAGE

Science, rivalry, and musical comedy collide in Bone Wars, inspired by the real-life feud between Gilded Age paleontologists O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Now playing at The Players Theatre through July 26th, the show turns one of history's strangest scientific rivalries into a lively downtown theater pick.

BEACH CLUB POP UP

Escape from the city (without leaving the city) and enjoy live-fire cooking, sunset parties, and special guest chef dinners on the sand at beach bar Taco Vista. Now open, Theodora Beach Club, Presented by Resy brings Fort Greene Mediterranean spot Theodora to an island pop-up, with access to an after-hours bar included in the tickets. Through August 15th.

BACK ON THE WATER

Explore New York by water aboard the 1885 schooner Pioneer. Sailings from Pier 16 have started up again for the season. Trips include daytime, sunset, and programmatic (they'll even let you pitch in and raise a sail). Bring a bottle of wine and make a date night out of it.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

One of New York's favorite summer traditions returns to the Delacorte Theater with Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Tony Award-winning director Daniel Sullivan leads this new production, featuring Broadway favorites including Raúl Esparza and Lily Rabe. The sweeping story of jealousy, forgiveness, and second chances runs July 25th through August 23rd as part of Free Shakespeare in the Park.

FREE FIREWORKS

Friday night fireworks have returned to the boardwalk. The Alliance for Coney Island is once again lighting up the sky: get a prime view from aboard the Wonder Wheel, celebrating 106 years of thrilling New Yorkers.

WATERMARK BEACH IS BACK

Pier 15 in the Seaport gets the jump on summer with the opening of Watermark Beach. Frozen cocktails complement skyline and river views, with palm trees adding to the tropical vibes. Look for seasonal faves like tacos, tuna tartare, smash burgers, coconut shrimp, and freshly shucked oysters.

STREET FAIR

JAPAN Fes is the largest Japanese street fair in the world. Running into October, the 2026 run is underway with authentic Japanese street food. NYC-inspired collaborations, and a side of Japanese culture.

BROOKLYN FLEA

The promise of warmer weather has brought the Brooklyn Flea back outdoors. Now reopened under the Manhattan Bridge, look for vintage finds, handmade goods, and tasty bites.

FREE FRIDAY NIGHTS

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Claude Monet. Water Lilies. 1914–26. Oil on canvas, three panels. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. Photo: Gus Powell.

MoMA has expanded its Free Fridays to a weekly affair, available to all New York residents. Explore the galleries after hours, join drop-in drawing sessions, see films, shop, and grab a bite or drinks at this week's edition of UNIQLO Friday Nights.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

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Madame Tussauds New York pulls back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes tour, newly launched. For the first time ever you can access the attraction's studio and see the work that goes into making and maintaining the world's most famous wax figures. You'll see the intricate painting and sculpting process (every single hair has to be set in by hand), plus a look at clothes and accessories—many straight from celebrity closets!

CULTURAL THINGS TO DO IN NYC 

INTREPID MUSEUM

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A visit to the former aircraft carrier that’s now the Intrepid Museum is a step inside a living time capsule, an immersive experience that takes in maritime history, space exploration, and the evolution of aviation. The latest exhibition here features a World War II FG-1D Corsair, on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. It’s one of the only surviving examples of this aircraft, which played a pivotal role in the Pacific Theater. The exhibit centers around the story of Alfred Lerch, a decorated Corsair pilot from Intrepid’s VF-10 squadron, who achieved “ace in a day” status by downing seven enemy aircraft in just a single day of combat. The installation is part of a new hangar deck exhibition filled with never-before-seen artifacts, oral histories, images, videos, and more.

Cocktail dresses known as “Homage to Pop Art,” from Laurent’s Fall/Winter 1966 haute couture collection; shot by Jean-Claude Sauer for LIFE magazine.

Yves Saint Laurent and Photography, on view now at the International Center of Photography, explores the powerful relationship the iconic designer forged between fashion and photography. Bringing together 300 photographs and archival objects, the exhibition shows off work by celebrated artists like Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, and Andy Warhol to reveal how Yves Saint Laurent established a blueprint for the way the fashion world is visualized today. Take advantage of special summer admissions, as ICP introduces $5 Fridays. All day every Friday!

Photo by Bridgit Beyer.

NYC's cultural firmament is a little bit broader. Newly open at The New York Historical is the Tang Wing for American Democracy, featuring soaring, light-filled spaces offering opportunities to examine the national story. With visiting hours until 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays and expanded pay-as-you-wish admission from 5-8pm.

“Albion Printing Press” 1844. Hopkinson & Cope, manufacturer. Gift of Leonard,Fred, and Bill Schlosser, South Street Seaport Museum 1976.022.

Getting in the spirit of America 250, the South Street Seaport Museum has opened a new exhibition with a look at some of the nation's founding documents. The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation traces the evolution of America’s founding ideals, highlighting New York’s central role in this history—among the rarities you can see up close are copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Image: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

Get behind the scenes of Broadway magic with The Craft of Broadway Puppetry, a new special exhibition opening today at The Museum of Broadway. The show explore how puppets—from hand-and-rod versions to string marionettes—are built for the stage.  A menagerie of animal puppets from Life of Pi are joined by other contemporary characters and a recreation of a puppet-building workshop.

Thilo Oerke and Rosita Tonmöbel, Rosita Vision 2000, 1971; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Accessions Committee purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Michael D. Abrams; photo: Don Ross.

From concert posters to record albums, phonographs to digital music players, and handheld radios to sound systems, the new exhibition “Art of Noise” explores how design has transformed our relationship to music. Don't miss the immersive audio installations—now open at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Through August 16th.

Awarded to New York City Football Club in 2021, this MLS Cup championship ring features dazzling diamonds surrounding the club’s logo. Credit: Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/©AMNH.

Sports meets culture at the new American Museum of Natural History exhibition For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence. Take advantage of a rare chance to get up close with championship rings, trophies, and medals, like a Jesse Owens gold medal from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, and the MLS Cup championship ring pictured here.

Rendering of the expanded New Museum at 235 Bowery. Courtesy OMA/bloomimages.de

After a two year hiatus, the New Museum has reopened its doors. The museum is showing off a new addition (above at right) that doubles its footprint. The first exhibition up is New Humans: Memories of the Future, which spans the entire museum, joined by several major new long-term commissions.

Ash Arder, “Consumables” (2023), display refrigerator, solar-powered battery storage system, shea butter, butter, chocolate, plastic, and light.

The 82nd edition of the Whitney Biennial—the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the United States—features the work of 56 creators. This New York favorite reflects the current moment, with looks at interknit themes like family, shared mythologies, interspecies kinships, and the all-too-timely geopolitical entanglements. Through August 23rd.

Shiva as Vinadhara (Player of the Vina). India, Tamil Nadu; Chola period, about 970. Copper alloy. H. 27 3/4 in. (70.5 cm); W. 17 5/8 in. (44.8 cm); D. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). Asia Society, New York: Gift of Hope Aldrich, 2024.1

In celebration of Asia Society’s 70th anniversary, Asia Society Museum presents Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Celebrating 70 Years of Asia Society and the Rockefeller Legacy. Open now, the new show displays 70 of the finest examples of Asian art in the U.S. Look for spectacular Buddhist and Hindu sculptures along with rare Chinese, Korean, and Japanese ceramics.

Installation view of the exhibition "Marcel Duchamp," April 12, 2026–January 31, 2027. Photograph by Jonathan Dorado.

Artist and trickster Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) is the subject of a major Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) retrospective, his first U.S. show in over half a century. Duchamp had a hand in modern art movements from Cubism to Surrealism to Pop and the exhibition covers multiple mediums across nearly 70 years. Look for a sweeping survey of Duchamp's multifaceted career, with 300 works of art on display. Through August 22nd.

From Abram August Champanier’s "Alice of Wonderland Visiting New York," 1938–40, NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Collection (detail).

Take a whimsical look at New York through the looking glass of a New Deal–era mural. The Museum of the City of New York is showing Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier’s Alice Mural Panels, which celebrates the rescue and decades-long restoration of art created for a children’s ward between 1938 and 1940. Follow along as Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters explore 1930s New York City, from the subway and Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island and Central Park. Take advantage of free Wednesdays, with hours extended until 9pm!

Millions of people have seen it on TikTok but this is the public's first opportunity to check it out up close: Joe Macken’s extraordinary handmade model of New York City. Featuring more than one million buildings, crafted by hand from everyday materials, it's an incredible tribute to NYC. He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model is now on view at the Museum of the City of New York.

Letter from Nathan Hale to Enoch Hale (detail). August 20, 1776. MS243, gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1938–1939.

Visiting Fraunces Tavern Museum feels like time travel, with exhibitions showing off the building’s long and important history, including serving as the site of General George Washington’s famous farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolutionary War. A new exhibition here looks at the United States’ road to independence, with a special focus on New York State and the surrounding areas. Part one of Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation spotlights the pivotal years 1775 to 1776. Personal letters, artifacts, and works of art from the museum’s permanent collection paint a picture of the Revolutionary War’s early defining moments, like the Declaration of Independence and the Battle for New York. Where better to explore New York City’s 400 years—and the U.S.A.’s 250—than at this historic structure, which has played a role in both?

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Image courtesy the Banksy Museum.

He may be anonymous, but he's one of the world's most famous artists. The world's largest collection of Banksy’s life-sized murals and artwork is now open in NYC. An immersive experience, the Banksy Museum also features some of the artist's studio work, animated visual elements, and videos.

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Encounters in the Milky Way image by Alvaro Keding / © AMNH

Find new ways to explore the cosmos with the new Hayden Planetarium Space Show at the American Museum of Natural History. Encounters in the Milky Way reaches billions of years into the past and fast forwards millions of years into the future. Narration is by Pedro Pascal, shown in a domed immersive planetarium format with advanced high-resolution projection.

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In a city where dogs seem to be prancing down every street corner, and napping by every outdoor table, it’s no surprise that there’s an entire museum dedicated to them. The permanent collection at the AKC Museum of the Dog includes a treasure trove of dog-related art and artifacts, from watercolors and prints to bronzes and ceramics (including some of the world’s finest porcelain makers, from Royal Doulton to Meissen).

More on NYC museums can be found here.

IMMERSIVE THINGS TO DO IN NYC

Photo by Nicholas Knight.

Inside the drill hall at the Park Avenue Armory, you can catch the new immersive installation Clinamen, by artist/composer Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. Ceramic bowls drift and chime, encouraging visitors to explore their relationship to time and sound. Through August 2nd.

Black Mirror fans and the technodystopia-curious won't want to miss this new installation at The Shed. The Black Mirror Experience will immerse you in an adventure inspired by the show, using virtual reality to blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. Now open at The Shed (yes, they will be processing your biometric data with AI).

Ash Fure + stock-a-studio, ANIMAL [the listening gym], 2023. Courtesy the artists. Photo by Brooke Holm.

Workouts meet a sound immersive at the new art installation ANIMAL [a listening gym] at Pioneer Works. Conceived by artist and composer Ash Fure, in collaboration with architect Xavi L. Aguirre (stock-a-studio), the show riffs on gyms, reimagining athletic equipment as sonic sculpture, activated through friction, pressure, and movement.

Edge was already a top destination, boasting the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. Seven new interactive installations, from colorful spheres to mirrored environments to New York City–inspired spaces, offer new ways to experience the skyline.

ALIUME Art Gallery shows off vivid art in Bushwick, featuring three dozen original works by artist Alex Aliume that transform through visible light, ultraviolet fluorescence, and phosphorescent afterglow, creating a glow-in-the-dark immersive environment.

Mercer Labs' Maestros and the Machines reimagines the works of da Vinci, Mozart, and Hokusai through cutting-edge technology. Explore 15 immersive spaces where masterpieces breathe, shift, and respond to visitors. Music producer Timbaland is among the collaborators.

Explore New York one sweet stop at a time at the interactive i Candy NYC, now open at One Times Square. Wander through candy-filled takes on iconic city neighborhoods, Central Park, and a lively underground subway scene, collecting treats along the way. The three-story attraction also features a custom Candy Shop and plenty of photo opportunities.

A new immersive experience has launched at Chelsea Piers. Arte Museum New York leads guests through 14 zones themed around “Eternal Nature.” A multisensory approach includes soundscapes, custom scents, and all kinds of interactive elements.

NEW IMMERSIVE

Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology has unveiled Maestros and the Machines,, an immersive exhibition that reimagines the works of da Vinci, Mozart, Hokusai, and other masters through cutting-edge technology. Across 15 experimental spaces, art breathes, shifts, and responds to visitors, creating a one-of-a-kind experience that blends classical masterpieces with contemporary innovation.

Photo courtesy The Hum.

Ancient sound practices meet the latest tech at The Hum. This first-of-its-kind sound journey delivers vibrations across the body as part of an immersive experience that will have you reset, recharged, and restored.

IMMERSIVE THEATRE

Photo by Oscar Ouk.

Immersive experiences like escape rooms, virtual reality quests, and art installations are one thing—taking part in an iconic musical is quite another. Masquerade, New York’s stunning multi-floor successor to long-running Sleep No More, is elegance personified as theatregoers find themselves engaging with the characters and backdrops, all within a lush Phantom of the Opera otherworld. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Music of the Night” is a siren’s call to guests as they surrender to the mysterious storyline. Masks are required, and guests are ushered from scenario to scenario—sometimes as spectators, sometimes participants—within the Paris Opera House haunted by the Phantom. Masquerade runs through January 31st, 2027. —Griffin Miller

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Photo by Danny Kaan.

In his internationally acclaimed show, magician Jamie Allan combines state-of-the-art technology with timeless conjuring techniques. In an open run at New World Stages, Amaze is a story-driven show that has the audience feeling like part of the magic. 

THINGS TO DO IN NYC: LIVE PERFORMANCES

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Photo by Lawrence Sumulong.

For world-class musical experiences, head to Jazz at Lincoln Center’s intimate Dizzy’s Club. You’ll find a warm ambiance, a tasty seasonal menu, and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. There are shows nightly, in addition to Late Night Sessions Thursdays through Saturdays, starting at 11pm. 

EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO IN NYC

BUCKET LIST

Ever since its 1931 completion, the Empire State Building has been the most famous skyscraper in the world. It remains a vital part of NYC and an inspiration to the millions who ascend to the ESB observation deck in every season. For a limited time, you can be among the first in the city to see the new day dawning from 86 stories up. The Starbucks Reserve Sunrise Experience, available on select Saturday mornings, provides early bird access to the observatory deck. Tickets include Starbucks Reserve Empire State Building Microblend Coffee, artisanal pastries, and views of a lifetime. Perfect for bucket lists!

WHAT TO DO IN NYC

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TALKS, LECTURES, AND EVENTS

Thought Gallery has hundreds of livestream talks, lectures, performances, and more. Check out sessions with celebs, live concerts, and opportunities to learn the latest on everything from science to philosophy to social justice.

We were named an expert in a Rent. article. Check out the featured article: Unique Things to Do in New York City: 8 NYC Must-Dos Off the Beaten Path | Rent.

NEW YORK'S ACTIVITY AUTHORITY

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