45th ANNUAL BRIC CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! 

ANNOUNCES FESTIVAL LINEUP FOR 2023 SEASON

RETURNING TO PROSPECT PARK JUNE 7 - AUGUST 24

Corinne Bailey Rae, Taj Mahal, The Wallflowers, Kelela, Liv.e, Indigo De Souza, and More To Perform At Longest Running Free Performing Arts Festival In NYC

Critically-Acclaimed Artist L’Rain Appointed First Ever Artist Curator For This Year’s Festival, Themed “Looking To The Future While Honoring Our Past” 

BRIC Teases BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Offsite Pop-Up Concert @ Highland Park June 25; and Celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary

BCB23_Lineup_4_5_Instagram (1).png

BROOKLYN, NY (May 3, 2023) - Today, BRIC, a Brooklyn-based leading arts and media institution, announced its 2023 festival lineup for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, inclusive of 20+ free shows, benefit concerts, dance performances, film screenings, food, discussions, special activations for Pride, Juneteenth, Hip Hop 50, and more. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the beloved festival taking place at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park from June 7 - August 24 and presented in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks.

The longest running free performing arts festival in New York City, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has become one of the city's foremost cultural attractions and a beloved annual tradition. It is the summer-long outdoor concert and performance series that celebrates talent spanning global music icons to chart-topping indie bands including Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician Corinne Bailey Rae; legendary blues musician Taj Mahal; American rock band The Wallflowers; indie folk band The Head & The Heart; R&B superstar JOE; notorious alternative R&B singer Kelela; lo-fi LA-based R&B/soul artist and producer Liv.e; Pakistani musician Ali Sethi, fresh off a heralded Coachella run; seminal musician and composer John Cale; Grammy-nominated American rapper Raja Kumari; French-Lebanese jazz artist and composer Ibrahim Maalouf; indie rock musician Indigo De Souza; Jamaican dancehall icon Marcia Griffiths; Puerto Rican singer and composer iLe; Colombian experimental musician Lucrecia Dalt; rising Glam Pop star Jake Wesley Rogers and more! Artists making their festival debut such as choreographer Rennie Harris’s PureMovement dance company and Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician Oumou Sangarè reflect a commitment to creatively building inclusive experiences and intentional spaces for future festival-goers.

To commemorate the historic 45th anniversary, BRIC has appointed the eclectic, genre-defying multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek (L’Rain) to help bring to life this year’s theme - “looking to the future while honoring our past.” The Brooklyn born and based artist has spent years empowering and mobilizing New York’s underground music communities by cultivating spaces for Black, queer, and experimental artists to thrive.

“I have been going to BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! my whole life and having an opportunity to be a part of the team is nothing short of a dream come true,” said Artist Curator L’Rain. “Collaborative curatorial work is so special—more important than any individual contribution are the conversations we have with each other about artists we’re excited about, the ways we push each other out of our comfort zones, and the new music we learn about along the way.”

"BRIC is about community, art and culture and there is no greater example of that than BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!," said BRIC President Wes Jackson. "For 45 years our team has brought free and affordable programming to Prospect Park, and low-cost media education to the people of Brooklyn. We're honored to serve our neighborhoods in this way every summer, and we look forward to 45 more years at the Bandshell and beyond. Thank you to our friends and partners at the Prospect Park Alliance and the Parks Department. I'll see you out there."

Over the years, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has brought together artists from all over the world who reflect the true diversity of Brooklyn. Every element of the festival has been carefully curated to recognize some of the pivotal players that have and continue to help shape the city’s art, food and music culture. Their long standing commitment to the community and culture is evident as they announce BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!’s off-site Popup Concert at Highland Park and Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Weekend celebration. More details to follow. Click here for additional info on BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!. 

"BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park is a beloved flagship event, and a clear sign of summer for our community,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates the park in partnership with the City. “Music and performing arts are what help keep us thriving in good times and in bad, and I'm grateful that the park serves as an important inspiration for artists of all kinds. The festival has brought a wide range of free music, performances and family programming to Brooklyn's Backyard and we look forward to coming together this season with the many diverse communities of Brooklyn."

To RSVP for the free shows please visit BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, you can also purchase tickets to the benefit shows here. See full line up below. 

For festival coverage, all media outlets must apply online HERE. Please note - coverage/access to Benefit Concerts are not guaranteed. All media requests will be carefully reviewed. 

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2023 Lineup

*Rain or Shine*
*Dates, times and performers subject to change*

Stay tuned for additional details on the 2023 season as they’re announced! For more information on the artist lineup, tickets and more, visit bricartsmedia.org/bcb.

Follow BRIC on social media:
Instagram: @BRICCelebrateBK
Twitter: @BRICCelebrateBK
Facebook: @BRICCelebrateBK
YouTube: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!

Join the conversation with the official hashtags: #CelebrateBrooklyn #BRICCelebrateBK #BCB #CelebrateBrooklyn 

For additional media inquiries, please contact:

Decota Letman
decota@rootspr.agency

Brittany Peterson
Brittany@thisisdope.net

Naya Samuel
naya@rootspr.agency

Wendy Washington
Wendy@thisisdope.net

ABOUT BRIC
BRIC is a leading arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. For over forty years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn's cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for their community, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC builds Brooklyn's creative future.

ABOUT PROSPECT PARK ALLIANCE
Prospect Park Alliance is the nonprofit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, "Brooklyn's Backyard," in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. The Alliance cares for the woodlands and natural areas; restores the park’s buildings and landscapes; creates innovative park destinations; and provides free or low-cost volunteer, education and recreation programs. Today, Prospect Park is an international model for the care of urban parks, and one of the premier green spaces in the United States. Learn more at prospectpark.org. 

ABOUT  WABC-TV
WABC-TV has been the leader in local news and entertainment programming in the New York City area for more than 60 years. Producing more than 45 hours of live, local news and weather each week, Channel 7 “Eyewitness News” is the most watched local news in New York and the United States. WABC-TV also produces “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” weekdays at 9:00 a.m., which is seen in more than 200 markets across the U.S. Quality news and programming, cutting-edge technology and ongoing community outreach are the hallmarks of excellence that have consistently kept WABC-TV New York’s No. 1 station and the most-watched television station in the nation.

ABOUT BUD LIGHT
EASY TO DRINK, EASY TO ENJOY. That's what Bud Light and its simple, iconic 4 ingredient recipe has always stood for. With every moment and every beer, we strive to make life easier to enjoy.  Bud Light is proud to be returning as a sponsor of the 2023 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! season. For more information, visit https://www.budlight.com/beers/blue

ABOUT  WFUV
WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org), New York's source for music discovery, is a noncommercial, member-supported public media service of Fordham University for over 70 years. WFUV has received national recognition for its award-winning weekday format of adult album alternative music, award-winning local news and sports, and a diverse weekend lineup. WFUV's robust website has extensive audio archives, videos, song playlists and other resources.

ABOUT WBGO
WBGO is a publicly-supported cultural institution that preserves and promotes jazz, blues, Latin jazz and classic rhythm & blues. From its home base of Newark, New Jersey, public radio station WBGO has long been an anchor institution in community engagement through its music and news programming, live performances and partnerships. WBGO reaches a diverse audience from its broadcast location in America's number one media market, the New York/New Jersey metro area. Through programs such as Jazz Night in America, produced in partnership with NPR and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the organization’s reach extends to millions more across the country, and around the globe through WBGO.org and the WBGO mobile app and social media plus Facebook Live broadcasts. WBGO is broadcast at 88.3 FM in the NY/New Jersey area and may be streamed from WBGO.org.