Little Island, the immersive public park and arts escape at New York’s Pier 54, has announced its inaugural season of original summer programming. From June through September, Little Island will bring a staggering suite of low-to-no-cost, boundary-breaking outdoor entertainment to the fore of the Hudson River, complete with nine world premieres of projects commissioned and developed by the park’s programming team. Among these presentations will be works by T Bone Burnett and Chris Thile, who will collaborate with other leading musicians and performance artists to develop unique, high-concept presentations. 

Little Island’s first-annual summer programming run will commence on June 1 with a new work by legendary dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharpe titled How Long Blues. This production will stage at The Amph through June 23 and arrives in collaboration with musicians David Mansfield and Burnett, who contributed original music and arrangements. Find more information on the work and the litany of collaborators who will bring it to life here.

As the penultimate program at The Amph, master mandolinist and composer Thile will join forces with Claire Coffee to present The Manhattan Variations. A musical account of the iconic Lower East Side bar Milk & Honey, this work will be performed by Thile from August 14-18. Thile has also been tapped to curate a follow-up feature in 2025, arranging a radical reimagining of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grime for next year’s calendar. Read more on Thile’s work here.

On the exciting season of performances, Little Island Founder Barry Diller has shared, “For the past three years, it’s been extraordinarily gratifying to see New Yorkers embrace Little Island – whether for a few moments, a few hours, an entire afternoon, or late into the evening. Now, with this inaugural slate of entirely original programming, we fulfill the initial intention and vision for the park. Little Island was incepted with the goal of becoming a permanent hub of cultural activity, excitement, and entertainment, constantly building and creating new work for the City to enjoy. There is going to be something great to see – all throughout the park – every night, all summer long.”

Tickets for Little Island’s summer presentations are on sale now for $25 each. To learn more about Little Island’s past, present and future, visit littleisland.org/.