Indy Parks is hosting a series of over 60 free concerts and shows across the city from May to October.
"Our annual free concert series brings music and joy to our parks across the city," said Indy Parks Director Brittany Crone in a press release. "These concerts are an incredible celebration of the arts, community, and our local artists."
The 2026 Free Concert Series kicks off May 12 at 6 p.m. at Wes Montgomery Park on the east side of Indianapolis.
Three of the city's major parks will see a large number of shows: Garfield Park, Riverside Park, and Eagle Creek Beach.
"We have some really flagship places for concerts and performances that are kind of iconic," said Alex Cortwright, head of communications for Indy Parks. "So being able to bring performances, both to those beautiful and incredible spaces but also to some of our smaller parks that don't see that, was really a neat opportunity."
Performances this year vary from folk to jazz, hip-hop and orchestral music — but not all shows are musically focused. Some listed performers specialize in puppetry, fire dancing, and magic.
Acts include the Indy Ballet, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and local artists like jazz bassist and beatmaker Brandon Meeks, who spoke with WFYI earlier this year.
Indy Parks is also partnering with IndyFringe Theatre to focus on a variety of free kid-friendly concerts and performances over the course of the summer.
"Those are really cool, and just a unique opportunity to bring those types of performances into parks along with music and really just create a great experience for kids," Cortwright said.
Some of those performances will happen alongside Indy Parks' Summer Meal Service, which provides free meals to people 18 and under at whichever park the program is active.
More concerts are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Contact WFYI Digital Producer and Reporter Jeremy Reuben at jreuben@wfyi.org
