BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is an annual performing arts festival held in Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Brooklyn, New York City. Founded in 1979, the series showcases a wide array of artists and ensembles spanning jazz, hip hop, world music, classical, electronic, Latin, indie rock, and contemporary dance. The festival is produced by BRIC and presents free and ticketed performances at the Prospect Park Bandshell, engaging diverse audiences from Kings County, Harlem, and across the New York metropolitan area.

History

The festival was established in 1979 amid cultural revitalization efforts led by community arts advocates associated with CETA-era programs and local cultural institutions such as Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Public Theater, and Lincoln Center. Early programming reflected influences from global touring circuits like Montreux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and Woodstock while responding to local movements including the rise of hip hop in South Bronx and Brooklyn scenes linked to figures associated with DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the series collaborated with presenters such as Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, and National Endowment for the Arts-supported initiatives, adapting to shifts represented by ensembles from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean and artists connected with Fela Kuti, Celia Cruz, and Miles Davis-era modernists. In the 21st century, the festival engaged curators and institutions including Museum of Modern Art, New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn Museum, and Carnegie Hall as well as media partners like NPR and The New York Times. Major milestones include renovation of the Prospect Park Bandshell and strategic partnerships with Governor of New York offices and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs initiatives to expand accessibility and infrastructure.

Programming and Performances

The festival’s programming has featured headline artists and ensembles from multiple disciplines: Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Patti Smith, Yo-Yo Ma, Buena Vista Social Club, Tito Puente, St. Vincent, Solange Knowles, Kendrick Lamar, Rosanne Cash, Calexico, David Byrne, Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, Trombone Shorty, Sharon Jones, Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, Phish, LCD Soundsystem, The Black Keys, Janelle Monáe, Ani DiFranco, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Oumou Sangaré, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Trey Anastasio, Wynton Marsalis, Damon Albarn, Erykah Badu, and contemporary collectives aligned with Afrofuturism aesthetics such as performers influenced by Sun Ra and George Clinton. Dance and theater presentations have included collaborations with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, Trisha Brown, Pilobolus, and independent choreographers connected to Judson Dance Theater. The festival also programs film screenings with curations related to Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and archival series from Anthology Film Archives, pairing cinema with live music and panel conversations featuring critics from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and scholars from Columbia University, New York University, and Princeton University.

Venue and Facilities

Performances are primarily staged at the Prospect Park Bandshell, designed by architects working in the lineage of amphitheaters like Hollywood Bowl and outdoor venues associated with Central Park SummerStage. The venue enhancements included technical upgrades influenced by standards from Radio City Music Hall and touring production firms that service Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. Facilities supporting artists and audiences feature backstage amenities comparable to regional presenters such as Brooklyn Steel, Irving Plaza, and Bowery Ballroom, while production logistics coordinate with Metropolitan Transportation Authority for transit access and New York City Police Department for public safety. Site programming extends to ancillary spaces like Prospect Park Picnic House and neighborhood plazas supported by Brooklyn Borough President initiatives and community boards such as Brooklyn Community Board 6.

Community Engagement and Education

BRIC’s educational arm has partnered with institutions including New York City Department of Education, Teach For America, CUNY campuses, Brooklyn College, Pratt Institute, and youth organizations like Girls Who Code-adjacent tech arts projects to deliver workshops, masterclasses, and internships. Artist residencies and commissioning programs have engaged ensembles funded through National Endowment for the Arts grants and philanthropic supporters like Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Peter Jay Sharp Foundation. Community-focused initiatives connect to local nonprofits such as Make Music New York, The HOPE Program, United Way of New York City, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation to expand access, while partnerships with media organizations like WNYC, WBGO, and Hot 97 amplify youth storytelling, artist mentorships, and workforce development pipelines into cultural institutions.

Impact and Recognition

The festival has been recognized by outlets including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Variety, Billboard, and Rolling Stone for its role in Brooklyn’s cultural resurgence alongside landmark projects like Brooklyn Academy of Music and Brooklyn Museum. It contributed to neighborhood economic activity documented in studies by New York University Furman Center and Brookings Institution analyses of creative industries, influencing tourism patterns noted by NYC & Company and awards from Mayor of New York City cultural honors and citations from the National Endowment for the Arts. Alumni artists who performed early in their careers at the festival have gone on to receive Pulitzer Prize for Music, Grammy Awards, MacArthur Fellowships, and Kennedy Center Honors, underscoring the festival’s curatorial impact on contemporary performance practice and cultural diplomacy.

Category:Music festivals in New York City Category:Performing arts festivals