Lincoln Center has announced its 2025–26 season, a wide-ranging lineup of performances and festivals that stretch across dance, theater, music, and family programming. True to recent years, most events are either free or available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis, continuing the institution’s effort to keep programming accessible to New Yorkers.
Highlights of the Season
The season opens this fall with a strong focus on dance. The Table of Silence Project 9/11 returns to the Josie Robertson Plaza, gathering 150 dancers for a ritual performance dedicated to peace. Later in September, choreographer Kyle Abraham and his company A.I.M present three works that connect movement with an eclectic mix of musical traditions, running September 25–27.
Other highlights include new works from major artists across disciplines. Composer Philip Glass, visual artist and activist Carrie Mae Weems, choreographer Pam Tanowitz, and hip-hop influencer MC Lyte are among those presenting throughout the season. International programming is also central, with Kraków’s Unsound Festival bringing experimental and electronic music to New York in November, and the annual globalFEST showcasing musicians from around the world.
Lincoln Center is also dedicating part of the season to exploring history. The Legacies of San Juan Hill Festival in October will look at the displaced community that once stood where Lincoln Center now sits, featuring contributions from trumpeter Etienne Charles, pianist Aaron Diehl, filmmaker Stanley Nelson, and bassist Carlos Henriquez. Meanwhile, Under the Radar Festival in January continues to spotlight experimental and boundary-pushing theater.
Artists and Collaborations
This year’s designated Visionary Artist is composer Jeanine Tesori, best known for works like Blue and Violet. Tesori’s work will be celebrated through performances, community choir events, and conversations throughout the year.Lincoln Center is also leaning into interdisciplinary collaborations.
Spring brings the American Songbook series curated by scenic designer Clint Ramos, focusing on contemporary storytelling through music. Multimedia artist Nona Hendryx leads The InBETWEEN Music & Tech, which explores how technology like XR, AR, and AI intersects with performance.
Community
Family programming remains a major focus, with events designed for younger audiences and neurodiverse communities. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun premieres The Ocean Etched in the Forest, a work blending ancient traditions with modern storytelling. Annual traditions like the October Open House and the April Big Umbrella Festival return, alongside newer offerings such as the Minty Fresh Circus and Create-athons, where participants experiment with music-making, set design, and technology.
In addition to the mainstage shows, the David Rubenstein Atrium continues to host free weekly programs, ranging from hip-hop showcases to Latin dance nights, poetry events with Mahogany L. Browne, and new commissions from the American Modern Opera Company.
Full Lineup
Fall
September 11 – Table of Silence Project 9/11, Josie Robertson Plaza
September 12 – ¡VAYA! kickoff with Miguelito “Pachá” Pozo and La Charanga Pachá
September 25–27 – A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
September 28 – Create-athons: Draw Your Escape comic book workshop with the Metropolitan Opera
October 3 – Malicho Vaca Valenzuela play premiere, Festival of Firsts
October 10 – DARUMAS, Festival of Firsts
October 15 – Love? Said the Commander, Festival of Firsts
October 16 – Art Bath, Festival of Firsts
October 14–29 – Legacies of San Juan Hill Festival, including: October 14 – Stanley Nelson documentary San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood; October 23 – San Juan Hill: A New York Story by Etienne Charles with University of Miami Frost Symphony; October 24 – ¡VAYA! Night with Dennis Hernández y su Conjunto Amalia; October 25 – Aaron Diehl performance; October 28 & 29 – Carlos Henriquez at Dizzy’s Club Jazz at Lincoln Center
November 1 – Unsound New York feat. Sinfonietta Cracovia playing Mica Levi, Lucrecia Dalt, Aleksandra Słyż, Alice Tully Hall
November 2 – Unsound New York second night with John Cale and Heinali & Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko, Wu Tsai Theater
November 7 – The Ocean Etched in the Forest by Du Yun, Alice Tully Hall
November 15 – Visionary Artist Jeanine Tesori’s Blue, Wu Tsai Theater
December 19 – A Murray Little Christmas: 25th Anniversary, Alice Tully Hall
Winter
January 11–13 – Pastoral (Pam Tanowitz Dance) and Philip Glass Ensemble: Songs from Liquid Days
January 22–31 – Songwriter/Storyteller series at the David Rubenstein Atrium
January 25 – Contested Sites of Memory by Carrie Mae Weems, Wu Tsai Theater
January 29–30 – Visionary programming: Jeanine Tesori’s Violet in ASL by Deaf Broadway
Spring
February 21 – Heartbeat wellness summit, immersive arts, panels, and movement
March 8 & May 17 – Come & Sing community choir events
March 20 – Violet in ASL, Alice Tully Hall
March 26 – Seen, Sound, Scribe poetry event with Mahogany L. Browne, Alice Tully Hall
April 5–6 – Jeanine Tesori’s Cast Album Project, Appel Room
April (TBD) – Big Umbrella Festival, neurodiverse-friendly family programming
May 15–16 – Minty Fresh Circus, Alice Tully Hall
Ongoing/undated Events
The Tune Up! with SLP & The Joyful Noize
Collider Fellows residency projects
Avery Fisher Artist Program awards and career grants
Kenan Fellows
Lincoln Center Immersive AR/VR installations
Under the Radar at Lincoln Center
Art of Wellbeing series
Create-athons workshops
Lincoln Center’s season offers something for everyone. From daring new theater and global music to family-friendly performances and tributes to New York’s past, the institution is more than a stage. It’s a place to explore, connect, and experience art in ways you might never have imagined. Learn more about the center and it’s season of event on their website.
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Check out below a short promo for the new season from the Lincoln Center.
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