Officials with Forest Hills Stadium in New York have successfully saved their 2025 concert season from cancellation and announced a slate of programming at the stadium that begins with a concert on Saturday night (May 31) from British band Bloc Party..
NYPD officials had originally opted not to award the AEG-managed facility — which doubles as a tennis stadium in Queens’ Forest Hills neighborhood — its operational permit following complaints from neighbors. But, a compromise plan was announced in April that allowed 20 scheduled shows to go on as planned, as long as the music venue at the West Side Tennis Club agreed to manage certain street closures and agree to an assortment of noise limits and evening curfews, according to public documents.
Forest Hills is famous for both its role in tennis and rock and roll, serving as the home of the 1950 International Tennis tournament where Althea Gibson became the first Black athlete to compete in a pro tennis tournament. Forest Hills also hosted major concerts in the 1960s and 1970s by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan.
This year, stadium officials deployed a new state of the art sound system at Forest Hills from French loudspeaker manufacturer L-Acoustics, with acoustic design and installation from Rat Sound’s Dave “Rat” Levine. The new system “will enhance fans’ experiences while significantly reducing offsite sound into the neighborhood,” a press release announcing the 2025 season reads. “Forest Hills Stadium’s commitment to both exceptional live music and being a responsible neighbor is demonstrated through the installation of our cutting-edge PA system. This innovative technology delivers crystal-clear sound quality while controlling and minimizing sound propagation into the surrounding community.”
Stadium officials have also unveiled the stadium’s 2025 food vendors, drawing from a wide selection of local favorites from the city’s five boroughs. Vendors include Korean fried chicken from Queens’ Rokstar Chicken, Cantonese-American flavors from Chinatown’s Potluck Club, brisket, pulled-pork, and more from Brooklyn’s Bradfords BBQ, Greek cuisine from Forest Hills’ Nick’s Bistro, meat, vegetarian and vegan hoagies from Forest Hills’ Stacked Sandwich Shop, and Mexican from Forest Hills institution 5 Burro Café.
Check Forest Hills Stadium’s full 2025 schedule below:
- May 31 — Bloc Party with Blonde Redhead & joan
- June 14 – Sammy Virji
- June 21 – Dr. Dog with Crumb & Wild Pink
- July 22 & 23 – Phish (sold out)
- August 1 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard with Orchestra of St. Luke’s & DJ Crenshaw
- August 2 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard with DJ Crenshaw
- August 8 & 9 – Mumford & Sons with Lucius (sold out)
- August 13 – The Black Keys with Gary Clark Jr.
- August 16 – Louis C.K.
- September 4 – Leon Bridges with Charley Crockett, Reyna Tropical & Honky Tonkin’ in Queens
- September 5 – Above & Beyond
- September 11 – Pulp
- September 17 – Alabama Shakes with El Michels Affair
- September 26 – All Things Go Festival feat. Lucy Dacus, Djo, Gigi Perez, Rachel Chinouriri & more
- September 27 – All Things Go Festival feat. Doechii, Remi Wolf, Lola Young & more
- September 28 – All Things Go Festival feat. Clairo, The Marías, The Last Dinner Party & more
- September 29 & 30 – Tyler Childers with Medium Build
- October 3 – Shawn Mendes with Eddie Benjamin
- October 24 – Parcels
- October 25 – Big Thief
