Cultural Events
Rockefeller Center
Admission tickets from RM 364.22
New York City Events
Events in New York City
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Events
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28 places sorted by traveller favourites
Cultural Events
Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
Cultural Events
Hudson Yards
Music Festivals
Randalls and Wards Islands
Cultural Events
Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
Music Festivals
Randalls and Wards Islands
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
Cultural Events
Randalls and Wards Islands
Sporting Events
Harlem
Cultural Events
Food & Drink Festivals
Food & Drink Festivals
What travellers are saying
- Taylor MorrisBoise, ID81 contributionsWe came here for the Radio City Christmas Spectactular. The Rockettes are fun to watch! I probably wouldn't go every year, but it was fun to experience it at Radio City. Lots of fun dancing and different costumes. Great for kids!Written 25 June 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- PrincessWashington DC, DC187 contributionsApparently.. since this place was so incredibly crowded during the holidays. It's even worse if the weather is bad that day since it's hard to walk around to begin with and now there's umbrellas everywhere too!
Crowds are impatient, rude.. easy to crash into others or have people rush around you for their important photo opportunity.
It's definitely a beautiful area.. if you get an opportunity to see it with some breathing space.Written 19 April 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - coconutuglyMarbella, Spain1,475 contributionsWe didn’t wake up early, just enjoyed the vibe on this day. Saw the parade towards to the end, and even with sardine cans of people it was fun. Felt safe and relived my childhoodWritten 6 March 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Roger MRedhill, UK182 contributionsDespite the gloomy weather a lot of people turned out to this annual event. Good humoured and slightly bonkers!Written 12 June 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- femaleboxerNew York City, NY606 contributionsThousands upon thousands lined the streets to watch thousands of costumed locals and visitors parade through the Village. There were floats. There were bands. There were costumes that left little to the imagination and some that raised far too many questions. You need to get there EARLY if you want to be able to see, and there's no place to rest your tired feet.Written 31 March 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GianMarco P1 contributionCheck-in is super easy and quick. This event is really only fun if you have a panel or 2 to attend or have a really hardcore and diverse interest in multiple media franchises. Otherwise you’ll end up like me last year and end up just walking around doing nothing and leave unfulfilled and feel like you wasted your money. This year I went on Thursday and there was plenty to do. Could be because covid restrictions are mostly gone but… yeah it’s great. People are super nice, tooWritten 12 October 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- JanLinksGroningenGroningen, The Netherlands1,308 contributionsWhen You are in New York And You can see this, Go. But don’t travel more than 30minutes for It. But it is ok! A quiet nice experienceWritten 30 August 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Felicia MPhiladelphia, PA16 contributionsWe found this by chance while, exploring Manhattan, and thoroughly enjoyed wandering through all the stand exploring the different tastes.Written 6 August 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SteveOSNew York City, NY59 contributionsShow is great as always, but at box office, our “digital” promotions from LIRR were not acceptable and printed copy was needed beware!Written 2 May 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GeorgiaKem25Liverpool, UK16 contributionsThis is one of the hardest things I've ever had to organise in my life! The reviews are appalling and TBH there is just a lot of moaning about security and not much on what actually happens etc!
So here is my review which I hope is better than the ones I had!
Firstly the event we went to was Tonic Bar Times Square! Booking the event was very easy once we decided we was going Tonic, the process was a long few weeks as you truly are shooting in the dark as the lack of reviews is astounding and it's hard to see on a map where the ball drops, if you can actually see or even go on the street to watch the ball drop!
So once we chose Tonic bar we booked it through their website which was linked to event bite! The tickets where $370 roughly £300 this included an open bar and food being passed around (pizza, cheese sticks, sliders etc) Honestly I was more interested in street access, something this event offered and this is the reason we booked it as it was the most 'reasonable' priced place we could find. So yeah we booked it and the tickets where sent via email and that was it!
New Year's Eve - so we arrived in NYC 28/12/16 and over those days we got told by many New Yorkers to make sure we leave our hotel at least 1-1.5 hours before our event is due to start as there is a lot of security (something I'd seen a lot of people mention online) so we decided to leave our hotel 'double tree hilton' on 51st Lexington avenue at around 18:30! Security was tight but in all honesty I found it comforting especially in the world we live in today! What I can tell you about security and access to your event is that you have to access on the street of your event. You won't get through if it's not. So ours was between 48th and 49th so we went through 49th off 6th! Don't bother 'trying' as they check your ticket and in our case google map the bar if they are unsure! So just make your life easier and do what you're told haha. Many didn't in my line and it's really annoying! So you get bag checked and your body scanned once that's done you're through to the next batch of security who are the ones who escort you to your bar/restaurant etc! The only minor hiccup we had was that the bar didn't open till 20:00 and we arrived through security at 19:15 so we had a 45 minute wait but hey ho can't have it all!
Once in we had a ball! The atmosphere is great and in all honesty its worth it for a once in your life experience! We got access to the street to watch the ball drop but I'd definitely start queuing at the door earlier so I can get next to the barrier (best view) if I done it again which I probably would. However I still got to see the ball drop so that's great! What I would like to say that I wish you wasn't allowed balloons and tall hats it's not fair on other revellers as some couldn't see because of them! Something the organisers should think about!
So yeah I had a great time! A quick note I'm going to make now is places you can go to and see the ball if you want to go and can't get Tonic bar!
Tonic bar
Olive garden
TGIFridays - 51st (my parents went here the same night for New Years and they loved it)
Bubba gumps
Applebees
The view (expensive)
Marriott (expensive)
Hope this helps! If you need any help let me know (I've already done a separate review of tonic bar on their own review thing)Written 8 January 2017This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Samora NNewark, NJ7 contributionsI had a great time and would repeat. Although next time, I would either go with a larger group of around 4 or go solo. I went with my wife, which was fun, but the festival is not really an ideal couple's experience. It lends itself more to a group party or a solo vibe.
My wife and I only went on Sunday and got the VIP package. I chose Sunday because I got to see Tiesto and Major Lazer and because the weather was ideal. Notwithstanding the music, the people watching was the most fun part. On the ferry, we got to see all of the youngsters preening in their costumes. Some of them introduced themselves to us and told us about their favorite DJs.
The vibe was excellent, the crowd was mostly cool, and I never had a problem reaching the bathrooms. I actually liked the system of adding $ to the bracelet and then paying with the bracelet. It beats the ticket system of Caribana and other similar festivals because it cuts down on lines.
My personal experience was very positive, but I have to address two huge issues: the Friday closing and the Sunday rejections.
Friday closing
The organizers did not have the venue ready on Friday, which was a huge mistake. If I paid thousands of dollars for a three-day pass, I would have been angry. The refunds are a nice idea but they will be incomplete. I don't how they will calculate the value of the Friday VIP or Select attendance plus round trip ferry, but I know the customer will not get all of the money back. I don't know that they will reimburse for the ferry but I know they cannot reimburse for the opportunity cost of coming to NY on a Friday morning. People came from as far as Brazil and from all over the country for this festival, will the refund incorporate that fee? Their excuse, global supply chain issues, was vague enough to mean nothing and seemed like a way to pass the buck.
Sunday rejections
On Sunday, the staff turned away masses of ticket holders because they would have overcrowded the venue. This led some of the angry ticket holders to rush the entrance. Luckily, no one was hurt. Can't blame that on the supply chain: the organizers got greedy and sold too many tickets. The Sunday fiasco makes the supply chain story less believable.
Pros
The vibe, my experience, the music, the people, the staff, the easy access to bathrooms.
Issues
Expensive, badly planned.Written 7 September 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - zoeTenbury Wells, UK18 contributionsI enjoyed a lovely 60 minutes here with my teenage son. We enjoyed it lots but it cud be so much better. Where is Dobby?. It’s just not Harry Potter without him. The interactive sections are great fun and the store has some merchandise that’s not available elsewhere.Written 29 August 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Johnson_250Redmond, WA77 contributionsTribeca festival pretends to be open and accessible with fans but it's just not true. At least not anymore. They act like elitists and fans are just little peons to them, not worth any time or effort. I did not have a great experience at the festival and it felt like being a fan of RD was this huge no-no. i've had friends who have worked there who have said the same. MOST come to the festival because of RD!?
Before I went to the festival this year, I didn't get a response with a few simple questions. I emailed again and the person who answered a week later seemed annoyed. Won't be going againWritten 8 July 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Lynn CCleveland, OH54,311 contributionsSo we were very disappointed by the Food & Wine Festival particularly with the food selection at the Grand Tasting event on 10-12-19. The food was prepared by vendors (mostly local grocery stores like ShopRite or Citarella's) and local restaurants. We went mainly for the cooking demos by the celebrity chefs which we loved. We tried to hit a few food booths before and in between the demos, but all the food we tasted was horrible. The pizza we tried was cold; the lobster gnocchi i tried was good but cold; Brazilian truffles were yummy; there was some rum chocolate cake which was horrid; my husband hated all the burgers and chips or fries. The food was definitely a let down. The gift bags were neat and had bruschetta crackers, green tea cookies, apple baby squeeze pouches, some cappacinos in a can, and a few other items. The demos were fantastic and loved the Food Network Chef citings.Written 12 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mónica MGuatemala City, Guatemala16 contributionsWell, really cool festival, well organized, but the weather wasn't the best, I really was into the line up.
The food was cool, good prices but the booze was kind of expensive.Written 4 July 2016This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about New York City
- These are the best places for kid-friendly events in New York City:
- Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- These are the best places for couples seeking events in New York City:
- Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- These are the best places for budget-friendly events in New York City:
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- The Village Halloween Parade
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade New York City
- Times Square Countdown