ANNOUNCES FESTIVAL LINEUP FOR 2023 SEASON
RETURNING TO PROSPECT PARK JUNE 7 – AUGUST 24
BROOKLYN, NY (May 3, 2023) – Today, BRIC, a Brooklyn-based leading arts and media institution, announced its 2023 festival lineup for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, inclusive of 20+ free shows, benefit concerts, dance performances, film screenings, food, discussions, special activations for Pride, Juneteenth, Hip Hop 50, and more. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the beloved festival taking place at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park from June 7 – August 24 and presented in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks.
The longest running free performing arts festival in New York City, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has become one of the city’s foremost cultural attractions and a beloved annual tradition. It is the summer-long outdoor concert and performance series that celebrates talent spanning global music icons to chart-topping indie bands including Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician Corinne Bailey Rae; legendary blues musician Taj Mahal; American rock band The Wallflowers; indie folk band The Head & The Heart; R&B superstar JOE; notorious alternative R&B singer Kelela; lo-fi LA-based R&B/soul artist and producer Liv.e; Pakistani musician Ali Sethi, fresh off a heralded Coachella run; seminal musician and composer John Cale; Grammy-nominated American rapper Raja Kumari; French-Lebanese jazz artist and composer Ibrahim Maalouf; indie rock musician Indigo De Souza; Jamaican dancehall icon Marcia Griffiths; Puerto Rican singer and composer iLe; Colombian experimental musician Lucrecia Dalt; rising Glam Pop star Jake Wesley Rogers and more! Artists making their festival debut such as choreographer Rennie Harris’s PureMovement dance company and Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician Oumou Sangarè reflect a commitment to creatively building inclusive experiences and intentional spaces for future festival-goers.
To commemorate the historic 45th anniversary, BRIC has appointed the eclectic, genre-defying multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek (L’Rain) to help bring to life this year’s theme – “looking to the future while honoring our past.” The Brooklyn born and based artist has spent years empowering and mobilizing New York’s underground music communities by cultivating spaces for Black, queer, and experimental artists to thrive.
“I have been going to BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! my whole life and having an opportunity to be a part of the team is nothing short of a dream come true,” said Artist Curator L’Rain. “Collaborative curatorial work is so special—more important than any individual contribution are the conversations we have with each other about artists we’re excited about, the ways we push each other out of our comfort zones, and the new music we learn about along the way.”
“BRIC is about community, art and culture and there is no greater example of that than BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!,” said BRIC President Wes Jackson. “For 45 years our team has brought free and affordable programming to Prospect Park, and low-cost media education to the people of Brooklyn. We’re honored to serve our neighborhoods in this way every summer, and we look forward to 45 more years at the Bandshell and beyond. Thank you to our friends and partners at the Prospect Park Alliance and the Parks Department. I’ll see you out there.”
Over the years, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has brought together artists from all over the world who reflect the true diversity of Brooklyn. Every element of the festival has been carefully curated to recognize some of the pivotal players that have and continue to help shape the city’s art, food and music culture. Their long standing commitment to the community and culture is evident as they announce BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!’s off-site Popup Concert at Highland Park and Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Weekend celebration. More details to follow. Click here for additional info on BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!.
“BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park is a beloved flagship event, and a clear sign of summer for our community,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates the park in partnership with the City. “Music and performing arts are what help keep us thriving in good times and in bad, and I’m grateful that the park serves as an important inspiration for artists of all kinds. The festival has brought a wide range of free music, performances and family programming to Brooklyn’s Backyard and we look forward to coming together this season with the many diverse communities of Brooklyn.”
To RSVP for the free shows please visit BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, you can also purchase tickets to the benefit shows here. See full line up below.
For festival coverage, all media outlets must apply online HERE. Please note – coverage/access to Benefit Concerts are not guaranteed. All media requests will be carefully reviewed.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2023 Lineup
*Rain or Shine*
*Dates, times and performers subject to change*
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7
Taj Mahal
Corinne Bailey Rae
The Harlem Gospel Travelers
DJ Tara
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
Soul Science Lab
Olivia K and The Parkers
THURSDAY, JUNE 15
Jake Wesley Rogers
Kara Jackson
Bright Light Bright Light
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
Juneteenth UNITYFEST 2023
JOE
Stokely
Co-Presented with Robert Randolph Foundation
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
Antonio Sánchez “Birdman Live”
*”Birdman” film screening with live drum score
Takuya Kuroda
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Benefit Concert
BlueNote Jazz Festival
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak x Knxwledge) | Robert Glasper w/ Lalah Hathaway & Bilal | BJ the Chicago Kid
SATURDAY, JULY 1
Ibrahim Maalouf
Hermanos Gutiérrez
NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner
Co-Presented with NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest
SATURDAY, JULY 8
Kelela
Liv.e
THURSDAY, JULY 13
Rennie Harris Puremovement Street Dance Theater
Decora
FRIDAY, JULY 14
Oumou Sangaré
Vox Sambou
SATURDAY, JULY 15
Marcia Griffiths
Brown Rice Family
Dj Miss Hap Selam
FRIDAY, JULY 21
The Chelsea Symphony feat. Lady Jess
Lucrecia Dalt
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Ali Sethi
Raja Kumari
Roshni Samlal
THURSDAY, JULY 27
The Wallflowers
treya lam
SATURDAY, JULY 29
Rickie Lee Jones
Thornetta Davis
Chris Pierce
THURSDAY, AUGUST 3
Jorge Drexler
Cimafunk
Julieta Rada
FRIDAY, AUGUST 4
Indigo De Souza
Vundabar
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
Benefit Concert
The Revivalists and Band of Horses
with Bowery Presents
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 & SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
BRIC Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Weekend
Artists TBD
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
iLe
Divino Niño
Sara Curruchich
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
John Cale
Tomberlin
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22
Benefit Concert
Alex G + Alvvays
with Bowery Presents
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23
Benefit Concert
Alex G + Alvvays
with Bowery Presents
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
The Head And The HeartIzzy Heltai