Celebrate Brooklyn! kicks off its 36th season in intergalactic style with a free concert for the ages by soul/R&B/funk sensation Janelle Monáe. Monáe has declared herself over the course of two EPs and two critically acclaimed concept albums as the most original pop voice of her generation, at once futuristic, retro, and totally of the moment. Protégé of Big Boi, signed to Bad Boy, and the founder of her own Wondaland Art Society, she is an unstoppable creative force.

Born in Kansas City (she would later cite Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz as one of her musical influences), Monáe moved to New York to study drama and then, in 2001, to Atlanta, where she formed Wondaland. She released The Audition on her own label in 2003, an EP that introduced the elaborate scifi concept that showed up in her later releases on Bad Boy. Metropolis: Suite 1 (The Chase), (2007), The ArchAndroid (2010), and last year’s The Electric Lady flesh out the story of her alter ego Cindi Mayweather, a messianic figure in the android community of a futuristic city called Metropolis.

Monáe’s live show, “a soaring orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery and notes of Sixties pop and jazz,” (bluesandsoul.com) is one of the great spectacles in modern music. A historic night is in the works!

Venue Information:

The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals and is held every summer at the Prospect Park Bandshell. View seating arrangements here.

All Performances Rain or Shine. In the event of dangerous weather we will be communicating updates on our website, Facebook, and Twitter.

To learn more about our COVID-Safety precautions, visit our FAQ page.