Summer in New England can come with highs and lows, but being out in nature, feeling the presence of community and enjoying local arts and culture can make even the days with the thickest humidity feel worthwhile. Luckily, there are plenty of chances to experience all of those highlights in one by visiting one of many free outdoor concert series offered in Boston and beyond. Read below for where to find the live shows closest to you!
BOSTON, MA — UNCOMMON STAGE AT BOSTON COMMON
Emerson College’s very own Uncommon Stage is back this summer! The Uncommon Stage is nuzzled right between Boylston’s Green Line T-stops along Tremont Street in the heart of the city–the historic Boston Common. Enjoy a drink from Harpoon Brewery while you take in the amazing musical acts curated in part by your very own ‘ERS 88.9 FM team! From individual acoustic sets to full-piece bands, the Uncommon Stage is the perfect place to socialize, enjoy the weather, and, of course, listen to music!
- Sofia Giarrusso, Staff Writer
BROOKLINE, MA — BROOKLINE REC’S SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
In the two months leading up to Brookline Porchfest (Brookline’s all-day celebration of local music, featuring close to one hundred performers set up in nearly every neighborhood), Brookline Recreation is keeping residents on their toes with a show per week. Starting this Wednesday, July 10th and running to August 14th, Fisher Hill Reservoir Park will host a live performance every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. From reggae group Mystic Jammers to folk-rock outlet Knock On Wood, the Recreation-focused organization was sure to forge variety in their lineup. The park is perfect for sprawling out a blanket on the grass, staring at the clouds and enjoying the sounds of artists, live and local.
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
BOSTON, MA — HATCH SHELL CONCERTS ON THE ESPLANADE
Set upon the beautiful Charles River Esplanade, Landmarks Orchestra is back this summer performing free shows at the Hatch Shell! This Boston-based orchestra “builds community through great music” by spotlighting diversity through their programming which has included, but is not limited to, works by composers of color and women, and cultural showcases that span across the globe. They are kicking their season off with a community block party on July 17th that will be filled with music and family-friendly activities. Throughout the summer, there will be six opportunities for free classical music at the Hatch Shell. Some upcoming highlights include multiple “Mozart & More” performances and “Sheherazade & Borodin: Arabian Nights!”
- Sofia Giarrusso, Staff Writer
A BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU — PARKARTS CITYWIDE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERTS
The Boston Parks and Recreation Department is excited to be providing free local concerts through the ParkARTS Citywide Neighborhood Concert Series this summer! From July 8 to August 11, various types and decades of music will be presented across multiple neighborhoods. On July 15, Be King Rewind 90s will be putting on a nostalgic show in West Roxbury. On the other side of the coin, jazz will be all the rage on August 4 at Highland Park at Fort Hill! Check out the full schedule to see what may fit your fancy!
- Sofia Giarrusso, Staff Writer
CAMBRIDGE, MA — CLUB PASSIM CONCERT SERIES & BERKLEE AFTER FIVE CONCERT SERIES
Every Wednesday until August 28th, Club Passim is hosting Lunchtime Concerts. Hour long performances from 12pm-1pm, where you can spend your lunch break in good company. Club Passim invites you to the Urban Park Rooftop Garden to enjoy artists such as Kayla Blackburn, People Person Puzzle Tree, June Isenhart, and Marquis Lavoie for some good music and a good time! These concerts are perfect to unwind in the middle of your work day, and send you back to the office ready to take on the rest of your day.
That’s not all! Once your workday is up, head to the Urban Park Roof Garden each Tuesday for Berklee’s “After 5” concert series. Unwind to some relaxing acoustic and instrumental sets, or choose something with a little more rhythm to get the energy to take on the rest of your day or week.
- Avieana Rivera, Music Coordinator
ALL AROUND GREATER BOSTON, MA — BERKLEE SUMMER IN THE CITY CONCERT SERIES
Berklee’s Summer in the City Concert Series features locations you never thought you’d see a live performance at, and performers you’ll wish you found out about sooner! From art museums turned venues like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Art, to urban oases like Kendall Center’s rooftop garden and South Boston Maritime Park, the renowned school of music is excited to get you through the highs and lows of spending your summer in the city. Find yourself drawn in by the sweet sounds of flute by Jailene Michelle when she performs at the New England Aquarium August 29th, or catch Jessica Woodlee belting everything from breakup anthems to beyond!
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
JAMAICA PLAIN, MA — THURSDAYS ON THE LAWN AT THE LORING GREENOUGH HOUSE
Find fun for the entire family at The Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain every Thursday! From 3:30 until dusk, The Loring Greenough House hosts Thursdays on the Lawn, a place where you can enjoy rotating live music, food trucks, a beer garden, activities for kids and community. You can even bring your own picnic and relax on the lawn. This is a great way to bring in the weekend and enjoy the summer weather!
- Avieana Rivera, Music Coordinator
BOSTON, MA — JAZZ IN THE PARK AT THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY
Jazz in the Park is back this summer every Thursday from 6:30pm-8pm at the North End Parks (Corner of John Fitzgerald Surface Road and North Street). Enjoy a different band every week with everything from quartets to solo acts to a full band. The lineup strives to bring together multiple cultures and their own contemporary Jazz sounds. Sit on the lawn, soak in the sun and enjoy some incredible Jazz with your North End neighbors this summer! Catch Jazz in the Park before their final performance of the summer on August 8th.
- Avieana Rivera, Music Coordinator
ALLSTON, MA - RAT CITY ARTS FESTIVAL
The Rat City Arts Festival (RCAF) is a one-day 21+ festival on its third annual return, slated for Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 at Aeronaut Allston from 3-10 p.m. (rain date: August 10th). With over 500 attendees in 2023, RCAF is poised to surpass these numbers with a full festival line-up of two stages including Mint Green, Paper Lady, Indoor Friends, Grace Givertz, Sophie's Body, We Became Whales, Feardotcom, Sho Humphries, Vim, Cyan Sueño, Omniplus, Keytar Bear, Miilo, Kithara Project, and Cloud Prescott. Leading up to the festival, RCAF will host a Rat Walk to build rodent control awareness and education on August 1st and a Rock of Ages golden hour concert for the community’s seniors on August 2nd.
WATERTOWN, MA — CITY OF WATERTOWN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Next to the public library, and down the street from the Armenian Museum, is a more seasonal hub of arts and culture in Watertown: the city’s summer concert series. This past week, bluegrass quartet Southern Rail had me imagining I was living in the cinematic universe of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, from the strums of the banjo to the plucks of the upright bass (played by Bluegrass Hall of Famer Sharon Horovitch). When there was a technical issue and the group had to play unplugged, they stepped off the stage and played closer into the crowd to ensure they could still be heard, showing a true dedication to their music and the crowd’s spirits. Other exciting acts in the series’ Wednesday evening slots include Boston’s first queer orchestra, a Middle Eastern-Jazz fusion band, and a punk group.
Kids are not just welcome, but encouraged and catered to at “Fun with Ukulele” on July 24th (a ukulele concert and workshop for kids, whether they have a ukulele of their own or need to borrow one), and New Orleans style rock band The Love Dogs plus life-size puppets with Puppeteers Cooperative. Brought to you by the City of Watertown, the series takes place at Saltonstall Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday, June 26th to August 28th, with not just local music but also local vendors, so be sure to take advantage of this free weekly event for the whole family!
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
BOSTON, MA — SUMMER IN THE CITY AT BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL -
Summer in the City returns with incredible views and even better music. Located at the Boston Harbor Hotel, guests can enjoy waterfront entertainment Tuesdays through Fridays until the end of August. From 6pm-10pm, listen to live music in the heart of the city. With genres ranging from blues, soul, country, pop, R&B, and more, there is sure to be something you will enjoy!
- Avieana Rivera, Music Coordinator
ABINGTON, MA – ABINGTON SUMMER CONCERTS AT THE CATHERINE AND JOSEPH NISBY BANDSTAND
In Abington, the summer concert series at the Catherine and Joseph Nisby Bandstand Summer Concert Series is in their monumental 20th season! Something that makes them special and shows just how well-loved they are community members, per their Facebook, is that Abington Summer Concerts are not funded by the Town of Abington but by “very generous donations from individuals, families, businesses, organizations and our attendees at the concerts.” The lineup this season has lots of blasts from the past, from a July 28th Beatlest tribute to the Shebob Swing Orchestra and a seven-piece classic R&B vocal and horn band. And it wouldn’t be the Abington Summer Concerts series without a performance from classic rock outlet Dale and the Duds. Catch the music starting at 6pm each Sunday until the season ends on August 25th.
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
BRIDGEWATER, MA – BRIDGEWATER MUSIC ALLEY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
This concert series put on annually by nonprofit group The Friends of Music Alley has grown beyond the humble alley in the town center that they once called home. Now, the group is taking their jam-packed lineup of local performers to Black Hat Brew Works off of Scotland Boulevard to accommodate more people and (of course) more tunes.
The concert series kicked off on Thursday, June 13th when WERS favorite Air Traffic Controller took the stage. It will continue each Thursday until September 19th. The lineup is mostly folk-leaning, but there is truly something for everyone, whether pop-funk outlet The Far Out on August 15th or Emmy-award winning rapper Laroy Streat on September 5th. Grab something hoppy from Black Hat’s selection of locally brewed beers, or get hoppy (there is plenty of space in front of the stage if you’re feeling inclined to dance)! Find all of the information on Bridgewater Music Alley’s website.
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
BEVERLY, MA – SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AT THE GAZEBO, AND AT LYNCH PARK
Every Sunday at Lynch Park in Beverly this summer will take place the best kind of double feature: live music from 6 to 8 p.m. and a movie to follow from 8 to 10 p.m. Speaking of double, did I mention yet that this isn’t the only free outdoor concert series Beverly has to offer on those beautiful summer nights? At the Beverly Commons Gazebo on Dane St., from 6 to 8 p.m. each Thursday, a different act will take the stage. By visiting Beverly Recreation’s online calendar, you can learn more about the variety of films and musicians that will be a part of the season.
- Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
WOONSOCKET, RI – WOONSOCKET MUSIC SERIES -
Back for the sixth year in a row, The Levitt Foundation is hosting Woonsocket Music Series, where you can enjoy live music from Rhode Island legends every Friday ar River Island Art Park. From 6 to 9 p.m., you can enjoy lots of live music, food trucks, local vendors, a bar, and kid-friendly activities. Weekly lineups feature a local opener followed by a touring headliner, for a mix of new and old favorites. You can also hear a multitude of genres each week, from Celtic Rock, to Country, to New Orleans Fusion! There’s something for everyone on a Friday in Woonsocket! Read about the full lineup here.
- Avieana Rivera, Music Coordinator
LEXINGTON, MA — LEXINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
The Lexington Chamber of Commerce welcomes you every Friday evening in July and August to their Outdoor Summer Concert Series. From 6:30PM-dusk, enjoy a variety of local music on the lush grass of Emery Park (Depot Square). For more information on the artists you can enjoy in the late-day summer sun, check out the lineup here.
- Riley Vecchione, Digital Marketing Specialist
NEWTON, MA — THE CITY OF NEWTON’S SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Situated right along easy parking and fabulous local restaurants, the Newton Centre Bowl’s summer concert series fills the air every Sunday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. this summer. Grab a bite with your friends and family before heading over to their vast open-air space located next to the playground and just an arm’s length from the Tyler Terrace Hut. Or, feel free to bring a picnic dinner and lay out a blanket. There’s plenty of space for you and yours! Concerts are contingent on weather and for updates please see their website here.
- Riley Vecchione, Digital Marketing Specialist
CONCORD, NH – WHITE PARK ACOUSTIC CONCERTS AND EAGLE SQUARE CONCERT SERIES
Look, if there’s one thing New Hampshire can knock out of the park, it’s their free outdoor summer concerts (and their summer sunsets, but I’m a bit biased). I’ve spent many years of my childhood enjoying local tunes with my aunt and uncle, and so I can’t recommend this gem enough. Concord’s White Park Acoustic Concert series is a wonderful chance to celebrate summer with your loved ones. Every Sunday morning at 10am in June and July, enjoy local music of all varieties. Additionally, every Thursday evening at 7pm, head on over to Eagle Square for another offering of local artists. For a full calendar of when and where to catch these performances, visit the Concord NH website.
- Riley Vecchione, Digital Marketing Specialist
