Things to Do in NYC, February 2026

The Blankman List of music, art, theater, and more happening in New York City this New Year

The Blankman List is a monthly curated list of things to do in New York City. It showcases the full range of what there is to do, for residents and tourists alike.

I especially seek out artistic and cultural events like concerts, plays, and art exhibits, along with anything that is high-quality, notable, and/or free. There is at least one event for every day of February 2026, and no borough or event type is off limits.

Creating this list is a lot of work for me! Seeing events past the first week requires a paid subscription. All subscribers receive a free highlights post.

Disclaimer: Before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.

Sunday, February 1

• Liberation

  • Final performance of Liberation, a Broadway play set in 1970s Ohio about “what it means to be free, and to be a woman”; 3 pm; through Feb 1

  • $58–$321

  • James Earl Jones Theatre

  • 138 W 48th St (Times Square, Manhattan)

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum: New York First Sundays

  • Free evening admission for New York residents to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum; 4–7 pm; first Sunday of every month

  • Free

  • National September 11 Memorial & Museum

  • 180 Greenwich St (Lower Manhattan)

• Brunch and Art: The Invisible Dog Around a Delicious Meal

  • Vegetarian Sunday brunch surrounded by works of The Invisible Dog’s art collection; service at 10:30 am, 12 pm & 1:30 pm

  • $60

  • La Salle à Manger

  • Address sent upon registration (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn)

Monday, February 2

• Sort and Distribute Winter Clothes

  • Volunteer to help set up, sort, and distribute free winter clothing for people who need it; 9:30 am–12:30 pm

  • Free

  • Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries

  • 410 W 40th St (Midtown, Manhattan)

• Yizhen Chen, Piano

  • Piano recital from Chinese-born Juilliard student Yizhen Chen; 5:30 pm

  • Free

  • The Juilliard School, Morse Hall

  • 155 W 65th St (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)

Tuesday, February 3

• Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

  • Regular season NBA [National Basketball Association] game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers; 7:30 pm (6 pm doors)

  • $226–$500+

  • Barclays Center

  • 620 Atlantic Ave (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Wednesday, February 4

• Modernism Without Borders: The Raymonds and Architectural Collaboration

  • Conversation between historian Helena Čapková and architect Sunil Bald on Japanese architecture and Czech American architect Antonín Raymond; 7 pm

  • Free

  • Czech Center New York, Bohemian National Hall

  • 321 E 73rd St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

• Mother Russia

  • Off-Broadway play by Lauren Yee about about a young man who stumbles into a job working surveillance for a pop star; 7 pm; Feb 3–Mar 15

  • $49–$122

  • Signature Theatre

  • 480 W 42nd St (Midtown West, Manhattan)

• Walking in Randomness: The Prevalence of Chance in Biology, Finance, Physics, and Our Daily Lives

  • Talk by physicist Jonathan Schachter on randomness in body cells, financial markets, and the world around us; 4 & 7 pm; part of Math Encounters

  • Free

  • National Museum of Mathematics

  • 225 5th Ave (Flatiron District, Manhattan)

Thursday, February 5

• Alma Quartet: Leo Brouwer

  • Cuban string quartet performing music by Leo Brouwer and other Cuban composers; 7 pm

  • Free

  • Americas Society

  • 680 Park Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Friday, February 6

• Lounge Act / Paper Lanterns / Take Warning / Rawmones

  • Cover bands performing songs by grunge and punk acts Nirvana, Rancid, the Ramones, and others; 7:30 pm

  • $15

  • Lucky 13 Saloon

  • 644 Sackett St (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

• Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson

  • Retrospective of artworks by John Wilson, who “put the experiences of Black Americans at the center”; 10 am–9 pm; through Feb 8

  • Free with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish for NYC residents and NY, NJ, CT students, otherwise $30 adult / $22 senior / $17 student

  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue, Galleries 691–693

  • 1000 5th Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Saturday, February 7

• The W.O.W. Project x Lucky Risograph Lunar New Year Arts Afternoon

  • Family-friendly celebration of the 2026 Lunar New Year featuring activities and a lion dance performance; 12 pm

  • Free

  • Abrons Arts Center

  • 466 Grand St (Lower East Side, Manhattan)

• Brooklyn’s Black Trailblazers at Green-Wood Cemetery

  • Guided trolley tour of Black visionaries interred at Green-Wood Cemetery, such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Grace Nail Johnson; 1–3 pm; Feb 7 & 28

  • $15

  • Meet by the Gothic Arch near the main entrance

  • 500 25th St (Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn)

• Animation First 2026

  • Day 5 of annual animation festival, with short and feature films along with talks and events; screenings 10:30 am–9:30 pm; festival runs Feb 3–8

  • $0–$19 individual tickets / $73–$166 festival pass

  • L’Alliance New York Florence Gould Theater

  • 55 E 59th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)