Forest Hills Stadium Confirms 2025 Season Will Proceed After Reaching Agreement with Forest Hills Garden Corporation

April 16, 2025

“Forest Hills Stadium Dartmouth St jeh” by Jim.henderson is marked with CC0 1.0.

Forest Hills Stadium’s summer concert programming will go on as planned, resolving a brief flare in a long-simmering feud between the venue and its neighbors. On Monday, April 15, cooler heads prevailed after the venue reached an agreement with Queens, N.Y. residents represented by the Forest Hills Garden Corporation, which stood in the way of the sound amplification permits required for its 2025 season in March.

News of the settlement was announced by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who disclosed that Tiebreaker Productions–the West Side Tennis Club’s concert partner–had assuaged local citizens’ concerns by agreeing to manage the privately owned streets around the arena with hired private security. Weeks ago, the FHGC refused the NYPD access to those same roads, preventing the NYPD from managing safety and security at concerts and, in turn, forcing the department to withhold new sound amplification permits.

“The show goes on!” Richards shared with WNYC’s Gothamist. “There are some factions who didn’t want to see this show happen—and I’m here to say that there’s a new sheriff in town.”

Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, confirmed an “alternative security plan,” detailing that “conditional approval allows concerts to continue this summer if the stadium meets certain conditions, such as compliance with city noise code and adequate security measures.”

This update continues a decade-long saga of ebbs and flows in the tension between residents of the Forest Hills neighborhood and Forest Hills Stadium, which has periodically erupted into lawsuits, political lobbying and in 2023 gave cause to a 68-decibel noise limit on concerts. In 2024, 11 of 36 shows in the season exceeded this limit, including two deliberately raucous shows from Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

“As anticipated, we’re pleased to announce that the City of New York has given Forest Hills stadium the green light for our 2025 concert season to proceed as planned,” the venue shared to its social channels. “Each year, our team works closely with the local community and elected officials to bring world-class performances at one of the most iconic music venues in the country. We’re excited to welcome fans back this summer and proud to continue our role as a cultural cornerstone of the Queens community.”

Forest Hills Stadium’s summer series will begin on May 31 with a performance from Bloc Party. For more information on the venue and its full events calendar, visit foresthillsstadium.com.