​60,000 person festival planned for New York’s Central Park

The city will host a massive concert with multiple “all-star” performers this summer as a way to celebrate New York’s comeback following the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. The mayor said he is working with music producer and Brooklyn native Clive Davis to put on the show, which could include performances from eight major musicians for an in-person crowd of 60,000 people, according to the New York Times.

The concert will be the pinnacle event of what de Blasio called “Homecoming Week,” a weeklong celebration of New York City, as well as affirmation of the city’s revitalization following an awful year. According to the mayor, the idea of a “homecoming” came from Danny Meyer, the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and recently appointed chair of the board of the New York Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).

“This is going to be an amazing, memorable, once-in-a-lifetime week in New York City,” de Blasio said during a press briefing on Monday.

Concert details are unclear as of now, but the mayor said the show on Central Park’s Great Lawn is tentatively set for August 21. The New York Times reported the mayor is aiming for “eight ‘iconic’ stars to perform for 60,000 attendees and a worldwide television audience.”