Berklee’s Summer in the City Returns with Free Concerts Throughout Boston Area
Students perform at beloved locations throughout Boston as part of Berklee's free Summer in the City concert series.
Image by Johanna Snow
Students perform at beloved locations throughout Boston as part of Berklee's free Summer in the City concert series.
Image by Bryan Lasky
This summer, Berklee students, faculty, and alumni will perform hundreds of free concerts at notable outdoor venues throughout Boston and the Greater Boston area as part of the Summer in the City concert series.
Performances will take place from May through September at beloved locations such as the Boston Public Library, the Boston Harbor Islands, Longfellow House, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Lyrik Back Bay, and the Prudential Center, among others. Summer in the City artists will also be featured in various outdoor music festivals around Boston, such as the Tito Puente Latin Music Series, Swingin’ in the Fens, and Jazz at the Fort.
In a new addition to the 2026 season, Summer in the City performers will appear at Time Out Market in the Fenway as part of its Tiny Stage Series on Thursdays evenings throughout May and June. This summer also marks the 20th anniversary of Berklee performances as part of the Institute of Contemporary Art’s Harborwalk Sounds series.
Summer in the City will present a variety of musical genres, including Latin, jazz, R&B, blues, classical, soul, pop, hip-hop, folk, and more as part of its 2026 programming. Notable Summer in the City artists include soulful singer-songwriter Rijah, New Orleans trumpeter Lady Satch, operatic vocalist Ava Dunton, singer-songwriter Macy Brassell, and genre-blending saxophonist An Tran.
“We are excited to continue our annual collaboration with organizations throughout the city to bring music to so many audiences and neighborhoods,” said Michael Borgida, senior director of creative media and engagement for Berklee. “The concert series is one of Berklee’s best contributions to our local community, with free shows by some of the most talented up-and-coming artists in the world. In addition to the performances, this series provides opportunities for current students to learn outside the classroom and gain experience in artist booking, live-sound engineering, project management, and on-site promotion. I appreciate the hard work by our partners with the City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, Fenway Civic Association, Friends of Ramler Park, Time Out Market, and others who have helped put this series together. We’re looking forward to a summer filled with amazing music.”
Previous Summer in the City performers have included Grammy Award–winners Laufey BM ’21 and esperanza spalding BM ’05, as well as Beane BM ’19, Betty Who ’13, Madi Diaz ’07, DOMi BM ’20, Sierra Hull ’11, and Ripe.
