Things to Do in New York in June: Events and Ideas

June in New York marks the start of summer, one of the busiest times of the year for tourists chasing sunny weather and the huge number of free events and outdoor activities happening all over the city.

The good news about this month is that the suffocating heat of July in New York or August hasn't arrived yet. So you can enjoy all the June events with pleasant weather.

A heads up: June is already high season in New York, so attractions will be more crowded and hotel prices go up (there are always cheaper places to stay).

Keep reading so you can decide what to do in New York in summer:

Events in New York in June

Below are some of the can't-miss things happening during June in New York, and most of them are free:

1. NYC Pride March: the Gay and LGBTQ+ Pride March

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and New York fills up with celebrations.

You'll see colorful parades and parties all over the city, and the energy is contagious. Of all the events, don't miss the most famous one: the NYC Pride March.

The 2025 Pride March takes place on Sunday, June 29. The parade winds through the streets of Manhattan with over-the-top floats and members of the LGBTQ+ community along with family and friends celebrating in a big way.

The March starts at 11 a.m. at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. From there it heads down the avenue before turning west on 8th Street.

After crossing Sixth Avenue, it continues along Christopher Street, passing right in front of the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, a landmark in the history of the movement.

Then it turns north on Seventh Avenue, passes the New York City AIDS Memorial and ends at the intersection of 16th Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Chelsea.

Beyond all the color and joy, the route passes several historic sites in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the city. A party with meaning, history and a whole lot of emotion.

Besides the Pride March, the city fills up with events. You can check the full schedule on the official site.

2. The Mermaid Parade

The 2025 Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, Brooklyn, takes place on Saturday, June 21 at 1:00 p.m. (it starts at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue).

This parade is a New York tradition that celebrates the arrival of summer with hundreds of people dressed as mermaids and mermen.

And you can't leave Coney Island without walking the famous boardwalk along the Atlantic, eating a hot dog at Nathan's and visiting Luna Park, the classic amusement park.

If you want more information, check the official page for this New York tradition.

3. The Museum Mile Festival

The 2025 Museum Mile Festival (the link has all the details) takes place on Tuesday, June 10, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

During the event, the museums along Fifth Avenue, including the Met and the Guggenheim, offer completely free admission plus special activities.

4. The SummerStage Festival: free concerts in New York

SummerStage is one of New York City's most anticipated outdoor music festivals. This will be its 39th year.

It kicks off on Saturday, June 7 with an opening night featuring Marcus Miller, Tank and the Bangas, The Soul Rebels and DJ Logic.

From that date and throughout the summer, there will be more than 80 free concerts in Central Park and other parks across different New York neighborhoods, with a lineup that spans jazz, hip-hop, indie rock, salsa and more.

Here you can check the 2025 SummerStage schedule and reserve your spot early on the official site.

If your trip lines up with one of these shows, don't miss it. These events capture the cultural spirit and the joy of New York in summer.

5. The Tribeca Film Festival

The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival runs from June 4 to 15. It's a unique opportunity for movie lovers. And there's a decent chance you'll run into Robert De Niro, the driving force behind this independent film festival.

Highlights include the premiere of the documentary «Billy Joel: And So It Goes» and the presentation of Miley Cyrus's visual album «Something Beautiful«. There will also be screenings of films like «Tow» with Rose Byrne and RZA's «One Spoon of Chocolate«.

There are outdoor screenings too, and plenty of actors come to town 🙂

You can check the lineup and news about the next edition of the Tribeca Film Festival on its official page.

I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this piece on 25 movies filmed in New York, perfect for watching before your trip. You'll recognize the locations all over NYC!

6. The Jazz Age Lawn Party

The 2025 Jazz Age Lawn Party takes place on Governors Island over two weekends: June 14 and 15, and August 9 and 10.

This outdoor event celebrates the jazz age with live music, dancing and 1920s dress.

It's an annual festival inspired by Prohibition, those roaring twenties when alcohol was illegal and jazz played in every corner of New York.

People show up dressed in period style, and it's a lot of fun. There are live jazz bands, gramophones, the Charleston, cocktails and much more.

Tickets start at $60 per person. Visit the event's official site for more information.

7. Visit Little Island

June is the ideal month to feast on New York's parks. If you like biking, there are several options for renting a bike and exploring them.

I'd start with Little Island, a wonderfully original New York park that's still fairly new (it opened in 2021).

It's a floating park on the Hudson River built on flower-shaped concrete pilings. It was designed by the same English architect behind The Vessel at Hudson Yards.

It's close to the High Line, so you can see two of the most original parks in the world in a single outing.

8. Movie Nights in Bryant Park

June is when the free outdoor movie festivals start up in parks across New York.

Bryant Park Movie Nights are the first screenings to open the 2025 season. The festival runs free screenings every Monday from June 9 through August 11.

The lineup includes films like «Pretty in Pink», «Kinky Boots» and «The Godfather».

Bryant Park opens its gates at 5 p.m. so people can settle in with their blankets and picnics and wait for the movie to start at 8 p.m.

Check the full movie schedule on the event page.

9. Free New York Philharmonic concerts

One of the gems of summer in New York is the free outdoor concerts by the New York Philharmonic, held in parks all over NYC.

The busiest concerts are the ones on the Great Lawn in Central Park, but there are others in parks less known to tourists, like Prospect Park in Brooklyn or Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Hearing one of the best orchestras in the world play live under the stars is a one-of-a-kind New York experience in June.

Every concert starts at 8:00 p.m. and is followed by fireworks.

You can check the schedule for the Philharmonic's concerts in the parks on their website.

10. Shakespeare in the Park Festival 2025

In 2025, the Shakespeare in the Park Festival is staging «Twelfth Night» at the renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park. As every year, performances are free.

Check the dates for the Shakespeare in the Park performances.

11. Baseball season

Baseball season is in full swing during June in New York.

So you can buy tickets to a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, or grab seats to watch the New York Mets play at their gleaming Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.

12. Sign up for guided tours of New York

New York's weather in June is perfect for getting to know the city on a deeper level alongside expert guides who speak your language.

The New York Contrasts tour, for example, is really useful if you're short on time and want to see parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx instead of sticking to the usual Manhattan attractions.

13. Take advantage of the free walking tours of New York in Spanish

Did you know there are free tours in Spanish in New York? They're short guided walks where it's customary to tip the guide based on how much you enjoyed the experience 😀.

You can sign up for all of the free tours! Just be sure to book your spot in advance (they fill up fast):

🏙️ Free tour of Downtown Manhattan

🇮🇹 Free tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

🍎 Free tour of Midtown Manhattan

🏢 Free tour of Manhattan's Village

⛲ Free tour of Central Park in Spanish (it's new!)

14. See a Broadway musical

No trip to New York is complete without seeing a musical at one of the famous Broadway theaters.

Here are a few recommendations:

🧙‍♀️ Wicked: you'll find out what happened in the land of Oz before Dorothy arrived from Kansas.

👞🎶 At MJ the Musical you'll get to know Michael Jackson's life and musical legacy.

🔵 Blue Man Group: an off-Broadway show you should see at least once

🦁 The Lion King: the box office record holder, perfect for families

🎩🇺🇸 Hamilton: the famous Lin-Manuel Miranda musical told through hip-hop.

New York temperatures in June

June marks the transition from spring to summer in New York.

Temperatures are very pleasant for exploring the city and doing outdoor activities (averaging between 64°F at night and 79°F during the day).

You'll probably run into the occasional rain shower, so come prepared. But since it's warm out, it's not a big deal.

The best part of this time of year is that the days are long, so you can make the most of them: sunrise is around 6 a.m. and it doesn't get dark until after 8 p.m.

Keep in mind that temperatures have shifted a lot in recent years. In June 2025, for example, there were already several extreme heat events, something that wasn't normal for this time of year.

It's worth checking the forecast right before your trip.

Looking for where to stay in New York in June?

Here's a roundup of central hotels that are both good and affordable for visiting New York in June.

You can also check out the 5 most booked hotels by the NewYorkando traveler community 😉:

📍 West Side YMCA on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

📍 HI New York City Hostel also on the Upper West Side.

📍 NY Moore Hostel very well located in Brooklyn.

📍 Pod Times Square in the heart of Manhattan.

📍 Holiday Inn Chelsea in one of NYC's most iconic neighborhoods.

Traveling to New York at another time of year?

Read up on what to do in New York month by month, so you can decide the best time to visit based on your interests and how much weather you can handle.

If you can't make it in June, July in New York also brings plenty of free outdoor activities, plus you'll catch the Fourth of July fireworks 🎆.

To wrap up, I recommend booking tickets in advance for the most popular events and checking the full schedule on each event's official site. Things can change.