[UPDATE 8/22/21]: While the We Love NYC Homecoming Concert in Central Park began in force with two hours of music, the lightning arcing over the Great Lawn caused the festivities to be shut down early.

Prior to the cancellation, fans enjoyed performances by Journey, Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas, Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, Earth, Wind & Fire with Lucky Daye and Babyface, Polo G, and Barry Manilow.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, and more were on hand to perform but never made it to the stage due to the record rainfall and consistent lightning. The Killers, however, did offer up a backstage, acoustic performance of “Mr. Brightside” for Gayle King, who FaceTimed Anderson Cooper on the broadcast for viewers to tune in (watch the clip below).

Check out some photos from the event via Rolling Stone here and some assorted videos below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andrew O’Brien (@thenotoriousaob)

The Killers – Backstage at WE LOVE NYC – Full video

[Video: tkillers music]

[UPDATE 8/20/21]: Saturday’s We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park—presented by the city of New York, music industry magnate Clive Davis, and Live Nation—will be broadcast on CNN, the cable news network announced this week.

[UPDATE 7/27/21]: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Jennifer Hudson, and Elvis Costello will head the lineup for New York City’s massive We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert. The show, presented by the city of New York, music industry magnate Clive Davis, and Live Nation, will take place on the Great Lawn in Central Park on August 21st.

“This is going to be an historic, monumental moment for all New Yorkers and all Americans,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “I’ll put it plainly: You’re going to want to be here. This is truly once in a lifetime and we thank Clive Davis, Live Nation and Danny Meyer for all their efforts to help make this possible. This is a celebration of our city, of every working family who faced incredible challenges last year and overcame. This is a celebration for you.”

The lineup for the day-long event, set to begin at 5 p.m. with gates at 3 p.m., will also feature Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Lucky Daye, Earth Wind & Fire, Carlos Santana, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, and Rob Thomas.

“There is absolutely no place more special than Central Park to celebrate the reopening of New York City,” Brooklyn native Clive Davis added. “I consider the Mayor’s request a true honor; and, with Live Nation, we are curating an unforgettable show befitting of this historic occasion.”

Eighty percent of tickets to We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert will be given away for free starting on Monday, August 2nd at 10 a.m. ET with a Citi Cardmember Presale starting Thursday, July 29 at 10 a.m. VIP tickets will also be available for purchase, and all attendees will need to require proof of vaccination. Additional release periods for free tickets will occur Tuesday, August 3 at 7 a.m. ET; Wednesday, August 4 at 9 a.m. ET; Thursday, August 5 at 7 a.m. ET; Friday, August 6 at 10 a.m. ET and Saturday, August 7 at 9 p.m. ET.

Those who can’t attend the concert in person can watch live coverage on CNN beginning at 5 p.m. ET on August 21st.

Tickets and more information are available here.

[6/8/21]: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has big plans to help welcome back the arts in the Big Apple with a massive “homecoming” concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park produced by Brooklyn-bred music industry giant Clive Davis.

de Blasio sees the Central Park blowout as the focal point of a weeklong celebration. “We decided to do something classic, iconic, a massive concert in Central Park to celebrate the rebirth of New York City. … It will emphatically make the point that there is no stopping New York.”

Related: NYC’s City Parks SummerStage Details 2021 Concert & Event Lineup

Per The New York Times, “The show, tentatively set for Aug. 21, is still coming together, with no artists confirmed, though Mr. Davis — whose five-decade career highlights have included working with Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, and Whitney Houston — said he is aiming for eight ‘iconic’ stars to perform a three-hour show for 60,000 attendees and a worldwide television audience.”

The Times also noted that Live Nation was involved in the show’s production and that the majority of the tickets will be free, with some VIP seating available for purchase.

Concerts on the Great Lawn at Central Park have frequently ballooned into iconic events in the past, from Carole King playing to 70,000 in 1973 to Simon & Garfunkel reuniting in 1981 in front of an estimated crowd of 400,000. In 2003, Dave Matthews Band‘s performance on the Great Lawn was recorded for an acclaimed live album. In recent years, it has hosted a slew of A-list stars as the home of the Global Citizen Festival.

As de Blasio explained of the NYC Homecoming Week concept in a press conference on Monday, “We have a big announcement about a citywide celebration of New York City. A citywide moment to declare New York is back, a homecoming for New York City, where New Yorkers come out together and celebrate and support our city. Where folks from all over the metropolitan region come back to their roots in the city. … This is going to be an amazing, memorable, once-in-a-lifetime week in New York City,” the Mayor predicted.

Watch the clip from the press conference below.