This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York
It’s called the city that never sleeps for a reason: New York’s cultural calendar is jam-packed this year, so we’ve narrowed down some of 2024’s most exciting highlights. Below are our picks of the best in art, music, theatre and sport for each month. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so do add your recommendations in the comments.
January
Art
‘Lineages: Korean Art at The Met’, ‘Africa and Byzantium’ and ‘Women Dressing Women’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lineages celebrates the 25th anniversary of the museum’s Arts of Korea gallery, highlighting the best Korean art in its permanent collection. Until October 20; further information and tickets here
Africa and Byzantium showcases the medieval art of Africa, which in tandem with Byzantium had an enormous influence of the Mediterranean world as we know it. Until March 3; further information and tickets here
Women Dressing Women features more than 70 female womenswear designers from The Met’s permanent collection, including Elsa Schiaparelli, Ann Lowe and Iris van Herpen. Until March 3; further information and tickets here
‘Picasso in Fontainebleau’, MoMA
In the summer of 1921, Picasso rented a villa in Fontainebleau, France, where the garage became a haphazard studio in which he produced an abundance of work. This exhibition presents pieces from an extremely prolific three months, with paintings, drawings, pastels and more. Until February 17; further information and tickets here
‘Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility’, The Guggenheim
Explores the artistic method of covering and revealing parts of the body and how this practice intersects with desire and abstraction. There are more than 100 works from 28 artists. Until April 7; further information and tickets here
Last chance to see the Frick Madison
The Frick Collection is closing the doors of its temporary location on Madison Avenue, ahead of the art museum’s move back its historic home on the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 70th Street later this year. Until March 3; further information here
Performance
‘Carmen’ and ‘Madama Butterfly’, Metropolitan Opera
British theatre director Carrie Cracknell’s dazzling modern interpretation of Bizet’s Carmen stars soprano Aigul Akhmetshina. Until May 25; further information and tickets here
And the late Anthony Minghella’s astonishing production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly returns to the Met Opera, with Aleksandra Kurzak, Eleonora Buratto and Asmik Grigorian as Cio-Cio-San. Until May 11; further information and tickets here
Winter season at the New York City Ballet
The company’s winter season introduces exciting new ballets to the repertory, including world premieres and a revival of late principal dancer/repertory director Albert Evans’s pas de deux In a Landscape. Until March 3; further information and tickets here
Event
New York City Restaurant Week
Enjoy prix-fixe brunches, lunches and suppers at participating restaurants across the boroughs. Celebrate the city’s culinary classics and discover new spots. Until February 4; further information here
February
Art
‘The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
About 160 paintings, sculptures, photographs and ephemera celebrating the Black artists of 1920s-40s Harlem. The exhibition examines how the Harlem Renaissance was integral to — and had a profound influence on — the evolution of modern art around the world. February 25 to July 28; further information and tickets here
‘Harold Cohen: AARON’, Whitney Museum of American Art
AARON was the late artist Harold Cohen’s proto-AI art software, which was programmed to generate images for monitors and projectors. This exhibition features its creations and asks questions about authorship and the role of AI in contemporary art. February 3 to May; further information and tickets here
Performance
‘Doubt: A Parable’, American Airlines/Todd Haimes Theatre
Starring Liev Schreiber and Tyne Daly, with director Scott Ellis at the helm, the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning Doubt returns to Broadway after nearly 20 years. The story follows the principal of a Bronx Catholic school as she attempts to reckon with the truth, when she suspects nefarious relations between the charismatic priest Father Flynn and a student. February 2 to April 14; further information and tickets here
‘An Enemy of the People’, Circle in the Square Theatre
Succession’s Jeremy Strong is leaving the boardroom of Waystar Royco for Broadway, starring alongside Michael Imperioli (White Lotus, The Sopranos) in playwright Amy Herzog’s second Ibsen adaptation following last season’s critically acclaimed A Doll’s House. February 27 to June 16; further information and tickets here
‘La Forza del Destino’ and ‘Turandot’, The Metropolitan Opera
The Met Opera’s first new production of Verdi’s La Forza del Destino in almost 30 years is directed by Mariusz Treliński and conducted by Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, with Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen as the heroine Leonora. February 26 to March 29; further information and tickets here
Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s Turandot returns with soprano Elena Pankratova making her Met debut in the title role. February 28 to June 7; further information and tickets here
National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall
World-renowned conductor Gianandrea Noseda — who is also the National Symphony Orchestra’s music director — leads a programme featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No 3, ‘Eroica’, Berg’s Lyric Suite and Hollywood composer Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto. February 12; further information and tickets here
Festival
Doc Fortnight at MoMA
The museum’s annual showcase of international documentary cinema, with screenings and events celebrating established and emerging non-fiction filmmakers. February 22 to March 7; further information and tickets here
Events
New York Fashion Week
The fashion world converges in New York as more than 70 emerging and established designers and brands debut their autumn/winter collections. Runways, parties, talks and more. February 9 to 14; further information here
Chinese New Year
Ring in the Year of the Dragon at celebrations across the city as punters celebrate the Lunar New Year. Join street parties in downtown Manhattan, or head to Queens where there will be parties aplenty among Chinese communities. February 10 is the official New Year, but February 25 marks the Chinatown parade, the largest New York celebration. February 10 and 25. Further information here
March
Art
Whitney Biennial 2024
The 81st edition of the Whitney’s celebration of new American art, which also features a film and performance programme. From March 20; further information and tickets here
Asia Week New York
Museums, auction houses and cultural institutions across the city lend their spaces to this showcase of Asian art. Participants include Christie’s, Sotheby’s, The Met and Brooklyn Museum. March 14 to 22; further information and tickets here
Performance
‘Lempicka’, Longacre Theatre
A new musical charting the life and work of the Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka set to a poppy score. Directed by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin. From March 19; further information and tickets here
‘Roméo et Juliette’ and ‘La Rondine’, The Metropolitan Opera
Benjamin Bernheim and Nadia Sierra are the doomed lovers in Gounod’s 1867 opera, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the podium. March 7 to 30; further information and tickets here
Seldom performed at the Met, Puccini’s La Rondine stars soprano Angel Blue as the courtesan Magda and tenor Jonathan Tetelman as her lover Ruggero in an Art Deco-inspired staging that shifts between Parisian nightlife and the French Riviera. Speranza Scappucci conducts. March 26 to April 20; further information and tickets here
Vienna Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall
The orchestra will be performing symphonic works across three nights as conductor Franz Welser-Möst steers the ship. The first night features two pieces from Bruckner and Berg; the second celebrates Paul Hindemith and Richard Strauss; the third is Mahler’s Symphony No 9. March 1, 2 and 3.
Sport
The Major League Baseball season begins
The 162-game MLB season kicks off in March, as the New York Mets face Milwaukee Brewers at home at Citi Field in Queens, while the Yankees head to Houston to tackle the Astros. From March 28 (the regular season ends in the autumn); further information and tickets for the Mets here and the Yankees here
April
Performance
‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’, The Metropolitan Opera
Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones was the first opera by a Black composer to be staged by the Met, in 2021. Described by Blanchard as “opera in jazz”, this powerful adaptation of Charles M Blow’s painful coming-of-age memoir returns with bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Charles. April 8 to May 2; further information and tickets here
‘Still & the Harlem Renaissance’, Metropolitan Museum of Art
To accompany The Met’s The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism exhibition (see above), The Orchestra Now will be performing Symphony No 2 in G minor: “Song of a New Race” by African American composer William Grant Still (1895-1978). April 14; further information and tickets here
Spring season, New York City Ballet
April marks the opening of the company’s spring season, which runs until early June. Highlights include Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Love Letter (on shuffle), set to the music of James Blake; and Play Time, with a free-jazz score by Solange Knowles. April 23 to June 2; further information and tickets here
Sport
End of the NBA and NHL seasons — and NY in the playoffs?
The 2023-24 NBA regular season comes to an end in mid-April, and all eyes will be on the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets as they aim to secure a spot in the playoffs, which kick off at the end of the month. The two New York teams take on each other in their penultimate regular match on April 12 at Madison Square Garden. Further information and tickets here and here.
Likewise New York’s two NHL teams, the Rangers and the Islanders, will face off at Madison Square Garden for one of their last regular season games on April 17. Both teams made the playoffs last year — but are yet to win the Stanley Cup, hockey’s biggest prize, this century. Further information and tickets here and here.
Event
Cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Spring means an abundance of cherry blossom in Brooklyn’s elegant botanic garden, which has a Cherrywatch page on its website so you can catch the trees at their most beautiful. Further information here
May
Art
Frieze New York, The Shed
The international event hits the Big Apple in May, with global galleries participating in a citywide showcase of contemporary art. The fair returns to The Shed arts centre in Hudson Yards. May 1 to 5; further information and tickets here
‘Jenny Holzer: Light Line’, Guggenheim
A revival of the artist’s 1989 installation in the same building. Electronic displays will transform the museum’s central space into an exhibition filled with thought-provoking texts. May 17 to September 29; further information and tickets here
Performance
New York City Ballet Spring Gala
The company’s 75th-anniversary gala will showcase two new ballets as well as George Balanchine’s Rubies. There will be cocktails at the pre-performance reception, a post-show dinner and dancing on the theatre’s promenade. May 2; further information and tickets here
‘El Niño’, ‘The Hours’ and ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’, The Metropolitan Opera
John Adams’ opera-oratorio El Niño — a bold reimagining of the Nativity — will be conducted by Marin Alsop. It marks the US composer’s Met return after a decade away from the company. April 23 to May 17; further information and tickets here
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’ operatic adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours returns after its world premiere last season. The eminent cast includes Renée Flemming, Kelli O’Hara and Joyce DiDonato. May 5 to 31; further information and tickets here
Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice features a Panopticon-esque set as the backdrop to the Greek myth. The choreography is by Mark Morris; countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and soprano Ying Fang are the tragic titular couple. May 16 to June 8; further information and tickets here
Sport
New York Liberty, Barclays Center
The 40-game WNBA season kicks off in May, with the New York team’s women’s opener in Washington DC. Their second game bring them back home, playing Indiana at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. From May 18 (the regular season ends in September); further information and tickets here
Events and festivals
The Met Gala 2024
One of the city’s most hotly anticipated annual events. The gala is a benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and this year takes its theme from a new exhibition at the Met’s Costume Institute, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”. May 6; further information here
Five Boro Bike Tour
The annual charity cycling event sees tens of thousands of riders make the 40-mile ride through New York’s five boroughs. May 5; further information here
NYCxDesign
This week-long event features urban design and architecture tours, as well as talks about trends in international design. Last year’s edition included a Design Pavilion — an alfresco exhibition for the public. May 16 to 23: further information and tickets here
Ninth Avenue Food Festival
An international food affair highlighting quality produce and eateries in Hell’s Kitchen and along Ninth Avenue. Discover new spots from a medley of cultures. May 18 to 19; further information for this year’s event here soon
Summer on the Hudson
A free festival of music, movies, and wellness events takes to the shores of the Hudson; think riverside yoga and acoustic-guitar recitals at sunset. Dates to be announced; information here soon
June
Performance
New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks
As they have for the past 50 years, green spaces across New York will become alfresco concert halls this summer, all for free. Fireworks follow each evening. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Festivals
Tribeca Film Festival
Screenings seize the city as the world-famous festival returns, featuring everything from film and TV to gaming and audio storytelling. June 5 to 16; further information and tickets here
Museum Mile Festival
The drag stretching from 82nd to 105th Streets is known as “Museum Mile”. For one evening only, this slice of Fifth Avenue shuts off car access for a free pedestrianised event where you can access museums after hours and stroll the streets filled with music and food vendors. Date to be announced; further information here soon
July
Performances
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
The 32nd edition of this annual celebration of the jazz legend, with free concerts in the neighbourhoods where Parker worked and lived from upcoming artists and jazz veterans. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Broadway in Bryant Park
The stars of Broadway’s musicals take to the midtown park for a string of showstopping lunchtime performances. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Events
Fourth of July
Forget a parade: New York boasts a jaw-dropping firework display to celebrate the holiday. Many New Yorkers leave the city for the coast, but dinner cruises are a great way for those who stay to experience the festivities. July 4
Harlem Week
With stages across the neighbourhood, Harlem Week is an array of cultural, musical, arts and fashion events celebrating the district’s history and communities. Dates to be announced; further information here
August
Sport
US Open
Tennis’s last Grand Slam tournament of the year. Pros will take to the hard courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. August 26 to September 8; further information and tickets here
September
Art
The Armory Show, Javits Center
A sprawling showcase of the best contemporary and modern art from around the world. September 6 to 8; further information and tickets here
Performance
New York City Ballet Fall Gala
The details of this year’s Fall Gala have not yet been released, but expect a balletic extravaganza. Last year’s event included dancers styled by Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon and guest vocalists such as Vanessa Williams and Patti LuPone. Date to be announced; further information here soon.
Events and festivals
New York Fashion Week
Designers and models flock once more to the city to showcase the fashion houses’ spring/summer 2025 collections. September 6 to 11; further information here soon
Feast of San Gennaro
Little Italy’s not-so-little annual event celebrating the Neapolitan saint. Food stalls fill 11 blocks of the neighbourhood, and processions wind through the streets. From September 12 until 24; further information here soon
New York Film Festival
Screenings, talks and panels make up this mammoth movie fest. Last year’s event featured directors such as Yorgos Lanthimos and insights from the crew of Bradley Cooper’s epic Maestro. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Sport
NFL season begins
New York’s two NFL teams return to the gridiron in September with the start of the new season. Schedule TBA; Tickets and information on the NY Giants here and the NY Jets here
October
Art
The Contenders, MoMA
An annual series highlighting the films of the past year that MoMA’s film department believes will have lasting impact. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
The Art Show, Park Avenue Armory
The Art Dealers Association of America’s annual show assembles top art from galleries across the nation. The event benefits the Henry Street Settlement, a New York social-services non-profit. October 30 to November 2; further information here (tickets available soon)
Sport
Start of the 2024-25 national ice hockey and basketball seasons
October typically marks the start of the NHL and NBA seasons in North America; cheer on the New York Knicks and the Rangers court- and ice-side, respectively, at Madison Square Garden, or catch Brooklyn’s Nets or see the Islanders hit the ice at the Barclays Center. Dates to be announced soon
Events
Open House New York
Peek behind the curtain with access to some of the city’s most interesting buildings, including rooftops, arts centres and factories. The event stresses the “power of place”. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Festivals
Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival
This year’s dates are to be confirmed, but BAM’s annual festival typically opens in October. The multi-arts centre showcases a variety of theatre, dance and musical performances at BAM’s venues across Brooklyn. Dates to be announced; further information and tickets here soon
Archtober
A celebration of the city’s architecture with a month-long programme of tours, panels, exhibitions and workshops open to all. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
November
Art
‘Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910-1930’, Guggenheim
More than 100 works exploring the early-20th-century Orphism movement, including pieces by Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia and its founders, Sonia and Robert Delaunay. November 8 to March 9 2025; further information and tickets here
Sport
New York City Marathon
Cheer on the sidelines or compete — if you dare. The course weaves through all five boroughs and — with close to 52,000 participants last year — it is the largest marathon in the world. November 3; further information here
Festival
New York Comedy Festival
More than 200 comedians performed in shows across the five boroughs during the 2023 festival, including a virtual appearance from Prince Harry, who tried his hand as a comic. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
December
Performance
Handel’s ‘Messiah’, New York Philharmonic
The NY Phil’s annual performance of Handel’s oratorio. Dates to be announced; further information and tickets here soon
Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
The precision dance troupe’s festive show includes its famous wooden-soldier fall, a meticulously choreographed domino effect. Dates to be announced; further information and tickets here soon
George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker’, New York City Ballet
The seasonal favourite is one of the most complex theatrical, staged ballets in the company’s active repertory, featuring 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands and more than 125 children, in two alternating casts. Dates to be announced; further information here
Event
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
The Brooklyn neighbourhood transforms into an illuminated spectacle in December, with festive decorations blanketing the brownstones. Further information here
What are you looking forward to in NYC this year? Share your calendar highlights in the comments
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