Inside The New Members-Only Areas Of Central Park's SummerStage

Next time you head to SummerStage for one of their free concerts, it might not look quite how you remembered it. This past Saturday, the 5,500 capacity venue—already picturesque on its own, tucked within the verdant trees of Central Park—unveiled their $5.5 million makeover. This included an overhaul to the stage (including the canopy), the sound system, and seating, which promises better sightlines throughout the space.

Heather Lubov, executive director of City Parks Foundation, explained the changes recently: “Our stage is 18 years old and it’s at the end of its useful life, so we ended up spending more and more every season to repair it when we took it down, because we’re a temporary venue. Because we were going to invest in building a new stage, we decided it was the right time to take a look at the venue overall and see if there were ways we could improve it.” Now, the venue will be formatted more like a baseball stadium, with raised bleachers surrounding the perimeter of the stage so that attendees can have an unobstructed view of performers.

SummerStage also teamed up with West Elm for sections reserved for VIP members and performers, which we checked out prior to opening (click through for a preview). What does this mean for you, a person who just wandered into the open air concert space? Not much, unless you have a SummerStage membership. If you are a card-carrying member who paid at least $1,250 (see the chart at this link), then the West Elm-designed hangouts will provide a new concert-viewing experience.

The Member Lounges feature complimentary beverage beer & wine, and a viewing experience similar to being on your own private, elevated porch (or a very crowded party porch, depending on how many members turn up). The spaces resemble showrooms for West Elm, with a lot of unnecessary tchotkes, but on the upside: not a button-couch in sight.

View this summer’s complete concert schedule here.