Things to Do in NYC, September 2025

The September 2025 edition of the Blankman List

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 September 2025, and no borough or event type is off limits.

Creating this list is a lot of work for me! Thus, seeing events past the first week requires a paid subscription. All subscribers, however, will 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.

Monday, September 1

• Outdoor Screening of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West

  • Outdoor film screening of La Fanciulla del West, Giacomo Puccini’s 1910 opera set during the California Gold Rush; 8–10:30 pm; part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer HD Festival Aug 22–Sep 1

  • Free

  • In front of the Metropolitan Opera House

  • 30 Lincoln Center Plaza (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)

Tuesday, September 2

• Pack and Distribute Food

  • Volunteer preparing, packing, and distributing food for a food pantry; 10 am–1 pm; Tuesdays through Sep 2

  • Free

  • The Salvation Army Brooklyn

  • 601 Lafayette Ave (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn)

• Nine Inch Nails: Peel It Back Tour 2025

  • World tour stop for renowned industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, featuring German-Iraqi DJ Boys Noize; 8 pm; Sep 2 & 3

  • $56–$357+

  • Barclays Center

  • 620 Atlantic Ave (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Wednesday, September 3

• Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic

  • Outdoor lecture by historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky discussing the challenges faced by the second US president in her book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic; 7–8 pm

  • Free

  • Outdoor Reading Room in Bryant Park

  • 42nd St between 5th Ave & 6th Ave (Bryant Park, Manhattan)

• Tate McRae Miss Possessive Tour

  • World tour stop of Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae with opening act Zara Larsson; 7:30 pm (6:30 pm doors); Sep 3–4 & Oct 18

  • $181–$650+

  • Madison Square Garden

  • 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Midtown, Manhattan)

Thursday, September 4

• An Oral History of Atlantis by Ed Park

  • Talk between writers Mira Jacob and Ed Park on Park’s latest collection of “deadpan, wildly imaginative” short stories; 6:30 pm

  • Free

  • The Korea Society

  • 350 Madison Ave, 24th Floor

Friday, September 5

• Carmen

  • Fully staged outdoor performance by NYC Opera of Georges Bizet’s Carmen; 7–9:30 pm; Sep 4 & 5

  • Free

  • Bryant Park Lawn

  • 6th Ave between 40th St & 42nd St (Bryant Park, Manhattan)

• The Legacy of Dizzie Gillespie with Yaacov Mayman

  • Concert by Yaacov Mayman’s Super-Hot Afro Latin Jazz Band showcasing Dizzy Gillespie’s influence on bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz; 2–3:30 pm

  • Free

  • Queens Public Library Central Library

  • 89-11 Merrick Boulevard (Jamaica, Queens)

Saturday, September 6

• Park Pitch In: 9/11 National Service Weekend

  • Volunteer work cleaning invasive plants from the 9/11 Grove in Prospect Park; 10 am–1 pm

  • Free

  • Enter park at Grand Army Plaza; walk to triangular lawn with sculpture

  • North Prospect Park (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Sunday, September 7

• Taka Kigawa: Boulez Complete Solo Piano Works

  • Recital of all solo piano works by French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez; 7 pm (6 pm doors)

  • $27–$33, plus 2 food and/or beverage item minimum if seated

  • Le Poisson Rouge

  • 158 Bleecker St (NoHo, Manhattan)

• Cash Cobain

  • Rooftop rap concert headlined by Cash Cobain and featuring 310babii, Myaap, and others; 8–10 pm (7 pm doors)

  • $73–$154

  • The Rooftop at Pier 17

  • 89 South St, Pier 17 (Financial District, Manhattan)

• Yoga at Socrates with Astoria Yoga

  • Outdoor class for all experience levels of Vinyasa yoga, focused on flowing poses and breath awareness with instructors from Astoria Yoga; 10–11 am

  • Free (bring your own mat or towel)

  • Socrates Sculpture Parl

  • 32-01 Vernon Boulevard (Long Island City, Queens)