Just a week after SummerStage announced its first headliner, another one of the city’s summer staples, the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, has announced Common as its season opener. The rapper, actor and activist will play a free show on June 5 at Prospect Park. The event kicks off a year long celebration of 40 years of BRIC, an arts and media organization dedicated to free cultural programming in Brooklyn.
Last year, Common won an Emmy for his track on Ava Duvernay’s Oscar-Nominated documentary 13TH. After collaborating on the 2016 album Black America Again, Common, Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins have formed the group August Greene and will be releasing their first joint album on March 9.
The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival draws an audience of 200,000 each season and has featured a diverse roster of more than 2,000 artists such as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chaka Khan, David Byrne, Jimmy Cliff, and Janelle Monáe.
Although the lack of entry price is a strong part of the festival’s appeal, season memberships are available starting at $60. These are perfect for those who don’t appreciate a nice wait in line, and like to sit in chairs while they eat, as it offers express entry, access to member tents with food, seats and beverage service.