The Boss will sing a New York City Serenade in Central Park.
The Big Apple’s August star-studded “homecoming concert” in the iconic Manhattan green space will be headlined by Bruce Springsteen, Queens native and “American legend” Paul Simon and award-winning singer and former “American Idol” Jennifer Hudson, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday.
“It’s going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history. This is something you do not want to miss,” de Blasio said during a virtual press briefing, promising a “big crowd” for the concert. “This is something for the ages.”
The mayor said he’s for a long time “loved” the “Born to Run” singer’s music. The Freehold, NJ native kicked off Broadway’s return Saturday with a rendition of his solo show “Springsteen on Broadway.”
“He is beloved in New York City, in an extraordinary way, even though he happens to come from [New] Jersey. No ones’ perfect,” de Blasio joked. “He is amazing.”
Hudson, who was a finalist on Season 3 of “American Idol,” is a “great example of an artist who started at the grassroots” and embodies New Yorkers’ “grit and determination” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details on the date and time of the end of summer event — the headliners for which the second-term Democrat said will be “really exciting for New Yorkers” — as well as the other artists who will perform at it will be announced “soon,” the mayor said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the star-studded show will be “one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history.” Matthew McDermott“Definitely more acts coming.”
The capacity for the event will be 60,000 people, Executive Director of Citywide events Dan Gross said.
“It’s going to be the same set up that you would see at other standard events,” said Gross, mentioning Global Citizen Festival as a model.
“It’s going to be a historic event.”
“We intend to get a lot more people vaccinated between now and August,” said the mayor. “This is meant to be an event for a large crowd.”
“It is going to be a great moment for the city, marking our rebirth, marking our comeback,” he added. “We’re very excited, and it’s going to be a historic event, to say the least.”
The event, first announced on June 7, will also feature Patti Smith, Page Six reported Wednesday. Smith, a punk rock pioneer, will perform a duet with Springsteen, Page Six reported.
Among her most famous songs is “Because the Night,” which was a collaboration with Springsteen. An insider told the publication that the show will be four hours long.
The Central Park concert won’t be its first — or likely the largest — production in the 843-acre attraction. Simon & Garfunkel’s performance there in 1981 attracted more than 500,000 people, who heard the duo sing their hits “Mrs. Robinson” and “Slip Slidin’ Away.”
In 1983, Motown star Diana Ross performed in a free concert on the Great Lawn that aired on Showtime.
