Central Park 'Mega-Concert' Eyed Warily By East Side Lawmaker

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — This week's news that Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning an enormous Central Park concert to celebrate the city's reopening was greeted with a mixture of surprise and excitement — and a dose of skepticism from one neighboring lawmaker.

Organized by the legendary producer Clive Davis, the concert on the Great Lawn is being planned for mid-August and will feature an "extraordinary all-star lineup" of eight artists, according to de Blasio, though no names have been announced.

About 60,000 people will be allowed into the open space, with about 70 percent of free tickets going to vaccinated people, according to the New York Times.

City Councilmember Ben Kallos, whose Upper East Side district is a few minutes' walk from the Great Lawn, told Patch that "any concert that Clive Davis is playing a strong role in will be a shame to miss."

Still, Kallos argued that Monday's announcement had "zero details," adding that "many Manhattanites have concerns that I hope our Mayor will address in the coming weeks."

"Are we really ready for this?" Kallos said, through a spokesperson. "I'm optimistic, but I do want to hear more on specifics, logistics and security concerns."

After Kallos solicited opinions on Twitter, other New Yorkers chimed in with their own worries. One user called it disingenuous for the mayor to "back an event like this in one park, while sending an army of cops to another."

Another questioned whether the city should be celebrating at all, when thousands of residents have not yet received a vaccine — including 71 percent of Black New Yorkers and 44 percent of people age 85 and older.

The city has pledged to roll out more details about the concert, part of a series of events that will be called "Homecoming Week."

"In August, get ready for an unforgettable week, a once-in-a-lifetime concert and a moment that really says, New York City’s back," de Blasio said Monday.

Kallos, who is term-limited from the City Council, is running for Manhattan Borough President.