The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is bringing back its popular free, outdoor concert series, Horizon Sounds of the City, earlier than usual this summer. Now in its 29th year, the series has already begun, inviting thousands of fans to NJPAC’s Chambers Plaza for Newark’s largest outdoor dance party. Each performance creates a festival-like atmosphere with weekly food trucks, sponsor giveaways, and resource tables from healthcare organizations and local nonprofits.
This summer’s concert series marks the first major public event in the newly redesigned Chambers Plaza, which celebrated its grand reopening on May 14, 2025. NJPAC’s “front yard” now features a beautiful grassy lawn, Essex County Green, with permanent seating, made possible by support from Essex County and County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo.
The updated Chambers Plaza now boasts a larger, level floor of gray and merlot-red bricks, enhanced by new lighting, audio equipment, and native plantings. This redesign is part of a larger $336 million campus-wide redevelopment project. The project aims to create a new, arts-infused neighborhood on the NJPAC campus by 2027.
“The return of Horizon Sounds of the City is extra special this year because we will welcome our community for a first look at our new campus,” said John Schreiber, President and CEO of NJPAC. “Horizon Sounds of the City has always been the summer’s best party, but in this reimagined space, with a bigger ‘dance floor,’ new lights, audio equipment and more, these performances will be even more exciting.”
Opening night on June 27 included a healthy food drive supporting Growing Healthy Pantries, a partnership with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Attendees brought items like canned fish or meat, shelf-stable milk, boxed meals, peanut butter (plastic jars only), canned vegetables and fruits, or diapers and feminine hygiene products to Horizon’s tent. This initiative helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity. (Please note: no glass, cellophane, bottled water, soda, or baby food.)
The Growing Healthy Pantries Initiative is a collaborative effort among New Jersey’s five food banks. Its goal is to provide access to healthy food choices and resources that improve long-term household stability.
“The Horizon Sounds of the City concert series, and the festive atmosphere it creates, is an example of how live performances can boost our mood and lower stress,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director Corporate Social Responsibility, Horizon. “Another way to improve well-being is through giving, and we are happy our 2025 concert series launches with a food drive to benefit Growing Healthy Pantries and our food insecure neighbors.”
Most Horizon Sounds of the City performances will feature an opening act, including students from NJPAC’s Arts Training programs and the city-wide Dodge Poetry initiative.
Generous support for Horizon Sounds of the City comes from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, and Mars Wrigley. Additional support is provided by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, TD Bank, Gia Maione Prima Foundation, L+M Development Partners, Patrón Tequila, Belvedere Vodka, and High West Whiskey.
To learn more about Horizon Sounds of the City, visit njpac.org.
Upcoming Performances:
Lyfe Jennings, Thursday, July 17, 2025 @ 5 PM
- R&B star Lyfe Jennings (“Must Be Nice”) shares an intimate musical journey with his raw talent and personal lyrics.
DJ Tunez | Thursday, July 24, 2025 @ 5 PM
- DJ Tunez and his live band bring a dance party blending classic Afrobeat with hip hop and today’s club hits, spreading Afrobeats culture worldwide.
Cimafunk, Thursday, July 31, 2025 @ 5 PM
- Move to the Afro-Cuban sounds of Cimafunk! The GRAMMY®-nominated cultural phenomenon celebrates Blackness across borders with “a euphoric soul train, serving up funkadelic grooves … with the joy of being alive in its every note” (NPR).
MC Lyte, Thursday, August 7, 2025 @ 5 PM
- Legendary hip hop pioneer MC Lyte takes you back to the old school and beyond. She’s made history as the first female rapper to release a solo album (Lyte as a Rock), earn a GRAMMY® nomination, perform at Carnegie Hall, and receive a gold single (“Ruffneck”).
