Experience Brazil’s vibrant art and traditions without leaving New York. From July 16 to 20, Summer for the City offers a star-studded week with Brazilian shows and cultural programs that highlight the country’s diversity, depth, and creative excellence. In addition to selected performances in our Family Storytime, Comedy Underground, and Jazz Underground series, we’re pleased to welcome back Brasil Summerfest, featuring an impressive lineup of Brazilians live and in person. Other highlights throughout the week include shows with Latin GRAMMY-nominated Melly, the psychedelic rock band Os Mutantes, art-pop diva Anelis Assumpção, MPB superstar Tulipa Ruiz, influential soul-samba singer Liniker, and many more!
• Gafieira Rio Miami: Gafieira Rio Miami is a dynamic Brazilian big band composed of 11 talented musicians from Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, and the US, reflecting the rich culture of South Florida. Founded by Brazilian and Latin GRAMMY winner Diogo Brown, Gafieira Rio Miami breathes new life into gafieira samba, a vibrant tradition that flourished in Brazil during the 1940s/50s. Originating in Rio de Janeiro, gafieira dance halls were hubs of creativity where waltz, jazz, soul, tango, and samba fused to create a unique and expressive sound that challenged social conventions and invited creative movement. As Brown demonstrates, gafieira encompasses a variety of genres like chorinho, pagode, and maxixe. The group’s repertoire includes beautiful arrangements of classics by Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Alcione, Wilson das Neves, Moacir Santos, and many more.
July 16 – 6:30 PM
The Dance Floor, Josie Robertson Plaza
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Lenine: Seven-time Latin GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter Lenine is one of Brazil’s most iconic musicians. Born in Recife and based in Rio de Janeiro, Lenine considers himself a “world Brazilian,” absorbing musical and cultural influences from around the globe and integrating them into his phenomenally popular compositions. With over 35 years of career and more than a dozen albums, Lenine has heard his songs recorded by Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Ney Matogrosso, and many others. He is a highly sought-after producer and arranger, with soundtracks for television, film, theater, and dance performances, notably those of the renowned Grupo Corpo. Lenine has performed live at Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Festival, the Montreal Film Festival, and Lincoln Center’s globalFEST. For Brazil Week, Lenine takes the stage for an intimate show with his trio, Bruno Giorgi and Pantico Rocha, to play a repertoire of hits spanning his entire career.
July 16 – 7:30 PM
Damrosch Park
Amsterdam Ave./West 62 St., NY, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• NYLaughs: NYLaughs hosts a comedy carnival for Brazil Week at Lincoln Center on July 16, with Rafi Bastos as the headliner! Alongside him, a vibrant cast of South American voices, including Colombian Pedro Gonzalez, Colombian-Canadian-American Santi Espinosa, Brazilian Jade Catta-Preta, and Luz Pazos straight from the Andes. Get ready for a night of laughs, rhythm, and unforgettable comedy from Brazil and beyond!
July 16 – 8:00 PM
The Underground on Jaffe Drive
Jaffe Drive, New York, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Caique Vidal e Batuque: Bahian vocalist and instrumentalist Caique Vidal joins us with his band Batuque for an Afro-Brazilian samba show, as part of Brazil Week at Lincoln Center. “Batuque” means “drum,” and that imperative is delivered with an explosive performance that gets the crowd moving! Community organizer of the Brazilian diaspora, Vidal began his journey on the streets of Salvador da Bahia, known as “the Black Rome of the Americas.” Playing with Olodum, the founding family of samba-reggae, Vidal brought the genre’s contagious rhythms and message of empowerment across Brazil, Europe, and the United States. An experienced rhythmic and choral arranger, Caique Vidal has shared the stage with musical ambassadors like Susana Baca, Carlinhos Brown, and Gilberto Gil. His latest album, “Save My Heart” (2023), blends the sounds and spirit of reggae, salsa, pop, rock, samba, and bossa nova into a danceable, engaging groove.
July 17 – 6:30 PM
The Dance Floor, Josie Robertson Plaza
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Os Mutantes: Though initially rarely heard outside Brazil, Os Mutantes are now recognized as one of the most dynamic, original, radical, and influential bands of their era. These bold musical experimentalists employed distortion, feedback, sampler techniques, and a prescient selection of studio tricks to create a light, playful, and yet extreme Brazilian pop. Integral to the psychedelic, tropicalia, and protest movements, Os Mutantes combined frenzied guitars, traditional rhythms, an optimistic vision of the future, and a keen melodic sensibility. Now, nearly 60 years after their founding, the Mutantes’ approach to sonic collage and ironic tendency toward cultural irony pioneered a nearly universal modern musical aesthetic. Don’t miss the iconic band’s performance during Brazil Week at Summer for the City!
July 17 – 7:30 PM
Damrosch Park
Amsterdam Ave./West 62 St., NY, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Roda de Choro com Samaúma Regional: Join the New York-based Brazilian choro and samba ensemble Regional Samaúma for a celebration of Brazil’s sounds through the potent group musical gathering known as Roda de Choro! Choro refers to a rich repertoire dating back nearly two centuries and represents the fusion of Afro-Brazilian traditions with classical sounds and dance forms from European culture. Developed initially in post-slavery Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 19th century, choro remains a fundamental driving force for contemporary Brazilian cultural expression. For this “Summer for the City” event, Regional Samaúma presents a two-part Roda de Choro, starting with a historical journey through 150 years of choro styles, incorporating Brazilian maxixe, polka, and tango, samba, lundu, and baião. In the second part, they invite the audience to join a semi-improvised performance. Bring your own instrument and have fun with some choro tunes!
July 18 – 5:00 PM
Hearst Plaza
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, NY, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Rashid + Tulipa Ruiz + Melly: In honor of this year’s Brazil Week, a trio of young South American stars headlines a three-set debut show at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. With over five studio albums, hundreds of live shows, and more than 400 million streams on digital platforms, São Paulo rapper Rashid has earned the title of one of Brazil’s leading rap voices. His latest LP, Portal (2024), sees the MC paying homage to the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop. Brazilian singer and songwriter Tulipa Ruiz is known for her powerful voice and moving lyrics. A Latin GRAMMY winner for Dancê (2015), she was nominated again in 2024 for “Habilidades Extraordinárias” and the song “Baby 95.” Blending tropicalia, rock, and electro-pop, Tulipa is a sought-after collaborator, having worked with artists like Elza Soares, João Donato, Emicida, and Adán Jodorowsky. Melly started singing at six years old and, at just 23, has emerged as a standout voice in Brazilian music, blending American R&B with her Afro-Bahian roots. She gained recognition with the EP Azul (2021), a performance at Afropunk Bahia, and the Breakthrough Artist award at the 2023 Multishow Awards. In 2024, she released her debut album, Amaríssima, with collaborations from Liniker and Russo Passapusso, earning Latin GRAMMY nominations, a Multishow Award nomination (MPB of the Year), and a win for Songwriter at the WME Awards. The three artists have worked together on previous projects, so expect some special guest appearances in each set!
July 18 – 7:00 PM
Damrosch Park
Amsterdam Ave./West 62 St., NY, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Anelis Assumpção: The father of Brazilian singer and songwriter Anelis Assumpção, Itamar, was a significant figure in São Paulo’s historic “do-it-yourself” movement, Vanguarda Paulistana. She followed in his footsteps, channeling the socially critical, intellectually liberal, and culturally diverse perspectives of that tradition into her work. Anelis Assumpção’s music is a vibrant mix of jazz, funk, progressive rock, dub reggae, samba, and pop, all underpinned by her vigorous and melodic voice. Anelis Assumpção’s art synthesizes the ancestry of the Afro-Brazilian people, presenting their authentic experience through words and rhythms. She has released four albums, a children’s book, and numerous notable singles and collaborations, establishing herself as one of the most important artists of her generation. She is also director of MU.ITA – the Itamar Assumpção Museum – which will present an exhibition in the David Rubenstein Atrium and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, celebrating Itamar’s memory and presenting his rich legacy to New Yorkers.
July 19 – 7:00 PM
David Rubenstein Atrium
1887 Broadway, New York, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Liniker: Born in the interior of São Paulo, bold and innovative singer and songwriter Liniker is proving you don’t have to choose between changing the world or topping the charts. Honored as “Immortal” by the Brazilian Academy of Culture, cast in a lead role in Amazon Prime Video’s September Mornings series, and winner of the Latin GRAMMY for Best Portuguese-Language Popular Music Album (making her the first transgender artist to win a Latin GRAMMY), Liniker’s resume speaks for itself. Liniker originally made her mark on the Brazilian music scene as leader of the band Liniker e os Caramelows, singing a fusion of samba, pop, soul, jazz, dub reggae, R&B, and cabaret songs. Her second solo LP, CAJU (2024), was a big winner at the 2024 Multishow Awards, considered by cultural magazine Escutai as “diverse, dynamic, plural, orchestral, psychedelic… a mix of the many parts of the great whole that is Liniker.” CAJU reached #6 on Spotify’s global debut charts.
July 19 – 8:00 PM
Damrosch Park
Amsterdam Ave./West 62 St., NY, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• Annette A. Aguilar & String-Beans: As part of Brazil Week, don’t miss this spectacular multi-percussionist with her band StringBeans! Specializing in Latin and Brazilian percussion, Annette A. Aguilar is an acclaimed artist, educator, producer, and bandleader who has toured the world, with numerous recording credits, television, and film. She has shared the stage with legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, Darlene Love, Tito Puente, Mose Allison, The Grateful Dead, Ray Brown, Arturo O’Farrill, Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Toshi Reagon – and many more in the Brazilian world, like Margareth Menezes (Brazil’s Minister of Culture) and Fabiana Cozza. She has worked and studied in Brazil and at the renowned California Brazil Camp with Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto, Mestre Jorge Alabê, and the award-winning directors of Mangueira and Salgueiro Samba Schools. Let the rhythm lift you at this unforgettable event.
July 20 – 6:00 PM
The Underground on Jaffe Drive
Jaffe Drive, New York, NY
Tickets: 212-721-6500
• IZA / Ilê Aiyê / Evandro Fióti: In association with the 29th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival, SummerStage presents an electrifying night in Central Park, celebrating Brazil’s rich cultural pulse. IZA is one of Brazil’s most powerful and celebrated artists today – singer, songwriter, and cultural icon who mixes pop, R&B, reggae, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms with uncompromised soul. With billions of streams across all platforms, she has been nominated for 4 Latin GRAMMY Awards and named one of the world’s most influential Black artists by MIPAD (Most Influential People of African Descent). From voicing Nala in the live-action remake of The Lion King to headlining major stages, IZA continues to shape the future of Brazilian sound and culture. Ilê Aiyê, the legendary Afro-bloco from Salvador, Bahia, also performs. For nearly 50 years, they have used music, dance, and carnival to celebrate African heritage and empower Black communities across Brazil. Evandro Fióti is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and creative visionary whose artistic work is deeply rooted in hip-hop culture and the celebration of Black identity. Fióti unites music and activism to promote diversity, inclusion, and cultural pride.
August 31 – 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Doors open: 5:00 PM
Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, NY, NY
All ages – Free