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.”
© 2023, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
