Shakespeare in the Park: summer season opens

The Public Theater begins its 2026 Free Shakespeare in the Park season on Friday, May 22, with the first preview of *Romeo & Juliet* at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The opening marks the return of free summer performances to the Delacorte as part of the company’s “Shakespeare for the City” program, which runs from May 22 through Sept. 8. Time Out New York listed the start of the season among the city’s notable events for the week of May 18-24, while The Public says every performance and event in the series is free and open to the public. ### When do the performances start, and what is opening first? Friday, May 22, is the first preview of *Romeo & Juliet*, according to Time Out New York and The Public Theater. The production runs through June 28 at the Delacorte Theater, the open-air venue inside Central Park that has long hosted the city’s free Shakespeare summer program. Saheem Ali directs the opening production. (timeout.com) The Public describes the play as its new staging of Shakespeare’s “legendary star-crossed lovers,” bringing *Romeo & Juliet* back to the Delacorte for the first time in nearly two decades, according to Time Out’s event listing. ### What is “Shakespeare for the City”? May 22 through Sept. 8 are the dates The Public Theater gives for “Shakespeare for the City,” its summer-wide slate of free programming across New York City. (timeout.com) The program includes *Romeo & Juliet* at the Delacorte, Mobile Unit’s touring production of *As You Like It* from June 4 through June 28, *The Winter’s Tale* later in the summer, and Public Works’ *Public Record* to close the season. (publictheater.org) The Delacorte will also host Monday-night Public Forum events, a Summer Kickoff Celebration on May 30, and select open houses and Friday picnics during the summer, The Public says. The company says the reopened theater will welcome more audiences than before as the venue resumes regular summer use. ### What makes this year’s opener different? Time Out New York says the 2026 *Romeo & Juliet* arrives with a “bold linguistic twist.” In its description, the publication says the world around the Montagues and Capulets is played in English, while Romeo and Juliet speak Spanish in their private scenes. (publictheater.org) Time Out also says the production is set in a border town where ideological violence spills into the streets. (publictheater.org) That framing comes from the publication’s event preview; The Public’s own season page describes the production more broadly as a new staging by Ali at the Delacorte. ### How do free tickets work? The Public Theater says free tickets are available through multiple in-person day-of distribution points and through TodayTix, which returns as the official digital lottery partner. (timeout.com) The theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park page directs audiences to its ticketing information for details on access. The program remains free, a defining feature since its founding by Joseph Papp. (timeout.com) The Public says more than six million people have attended more than 160 free productions of Shakespeare, classical works and musicals at the Delacorte since the initiative began. ### What comes after Romeo & Juliet? July 25 is the start date The Public lists for *The Winter’s Tale*, the season’s second Free Shakespeare in the Park production. (publictheater.org) That run continues through Aug. 23 at the Delacorte, according to the company’s season and production pages. Saturday, May 30, is the date of the Summer Kickoff Celebration at the Delacorte, where The Public says it will mark the reopening season with free festivities. (publictheater.org) The broader “Shakespeare for the City” program then continues through Sept. 8, with schedules and ticket details posted by The Public Theater and listings also highlighted by Time Out New York. (publictheater.org)