South African DJ and producer Black Coffee made a surprise appearance on Sunday night at SummerStage in New York’s Central Park, delivering a high-energy, sold-out performance at Rumsey Playfield.
SummerStage, held in collaboration with Capital One to benefit the City Parks Foundation, was announced only days earlier after the abrupt cancellation of Black Coffee’s Brooklyn Mirage residency.
The transfer to Central Park came amid turmoil at the Brooklyn Mirage, where the venue’s parent company Avant Gardner filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, per Brooklyn Mirage’s Instagram account, amid safety and permit concerns.
Despite the short notice, tickets to SummerStage sold out in minutes, with VIP tickets on resale site StubHub snapped up for $1,300 (R22,697) — with many fans from his Mirage residency scrambling to purchase tickets to the show.
“New York! It’s been heartbreaking to miss you all summer, but I knew I had to make it up to you. Let’s meet this Sunday in Central Park,” the DJ wrote on social media earlier last week.
On stage, Black Coffee led the crowd of 5,000 through a musical journey of his signature deep-house grooves, balancing soulful rhythms with darker, bass-driven tracks. Dozens of people who could not secure tickets were dancing to the music just outside the venue.
Sunday’s event reaffirmed SummerStage’s role as a key cultural platform — transforming Central Park into a stage for global talent while raising funds for the City Parks Foundation’s arts programmes.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.