Lincoln Center's Second Annual Summer for the City Welcomes 380,000 Visitors This Summer

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has released data from the 2023 edition of Summer for the City, which ran from June 14 - August 12. 

A new approach to summer at Lincoln Center, spearheaded by Chief Artistic Officer Shanta Thake, the festival embraces the multicultural breadth of New York City, intentionally breaking down silos between different types of artistry and audiences, and makes the arts accessible through low and no-cost ticketing options. 

The newly released figures reflect how the arts can be a powerful beacon of connection for people from all backgrounds, and how new approaches to programming and audience engagement can grow audiences for traditional art forms.

Data reveals significant impact in reengaging long-time patrons and welcoming new audiences: 

Lincoln Center welcomed nearly 380,000 visitors to campus over three months – almost 100,000 more than in 2022 
More than half of those who attended Free or Choose-What-You-Pay events had never before reserved a ticket to an LCPA presentation and 54% identified as BIPOC
There was a 20 percentage point increase in BIPOC audiences for orchestra concerts this summer, when compared with 2019 (pre-pandemic)

“We’re thrilled that New Yorkers from all walks of life chose to share their summer with us. While we have a lot of work to do and must always challenge ourselves, the data and overwhelming sentiment from our audiences is encouraging,” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Thake continued, “We approached this summer with the intention of bringing audiences and art forms closer together – creating opportunities for people to explore their own curiosities more deeply and expand their community. A fan of dance may very well have a soft spot for poetry, and a classical music enthusiast might also appreciate Sondheim’s ‘Company,’ or be interested in taking a dance workshop with their family, led by members of American Ballet Theatre. I’m filled with a deep sense of humility and gratitude for the artist community, staff, and audiences who have made this a great summer at Lincoln Center.”

Core to this approach is prioritizing accessibility for audiences and artists of all abilities, and intentionally placing traditions like social dance and classical music alongside artistry like spoken word and programs for kids and families, creating a different kind of welcome for more people.

While the organization has historically presented hundreds of free programs in the summer and throughout the year, LCPA’s new approach expands Free and Choose-What-You-Pay pricing to programming outdoors as well as indoors, ensuring a wide range of art forms – including classical music, dance, comedy, and theater – are within reach for a broad audience.

The festival also further demonstrated Lincoln Center’s ongoing commitment to serving its city, economically:

LCPA presented more than 2300 artists on its stages and employed more than 400 seasonal staff
All 10 food vendors and trucks at Summer for the City were independently owned by women and/or POC, based in four boroughs with most average plates priced at $10

“Our primary responsibility at LCPA is the success and long-term sustainability of the entire campus. Central to this role is ensuring we’re thinking big and welcoming more, while building upon core artistic traditions in our presenting history, which holds a myriad of art forms – from jazz to classical music, from swing dance to ballet,” said Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “We’re honored to have shared summer with so many New Yorkers and look forward to many more.”
 

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