Things to do in NYC in January 2025 include many showcases for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP). While The City is catching its breath from the holidays, booking agents fill New York theaters and night clubs for APAP’s JanArtsNYC performing arts festival dance, music, and theatre showcases.
January’s U.S. holidays are New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Day.
Three Kings Day or Kings Day is a big deal in Puerto Rican, West Indian, and African American communities. It ends the Christmas Season and starts serious pre-Lenten Carnival preparations.
January weather is peak winter with average temperatures of 26-39°. New York City’s coldest month is still a great time to visit. You just need to plan what to do. It’s too cold for wandering around and may be slushy. Bring a jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves so you can layer.
January 2025
ART
- Master Drawings New York, Jan 31 – Feb 8
- Winter Show, antiques, Jan 24 – Feb 2
DANCE THEATRE
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, modern, to Jan 5 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇬🇫
- Live Artery (2024)
- Nélida Tirado flamenco, Wednesdays 🇵🇷
- New York City Ballet “The Nutcracker” to Jan 4, 2025 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇵🇷 🇪🇸
- New York City Ballet Winter Season, Jan 21 – Mar 2
- Underground Uptown Dance Festival, Jan 24 – Feb 2
DANCE PARTIES
- El Destino tango, Sundays 🇦🇷 🇺🇾
- House of Yes 10th Birthday Party (Fri, Jan 5, 2024)
- Latin Mondays at Taj salsa, Mondays
- Tango La Nacional, Thursdays 🇦🇷
FOOD
- NYC Restaurant Week, 2024
FILM
- Cinema Tropical Awards (2024)
- New York Jewish Film Festival, Jan 15-29
MUSIC
- Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Sundays 🇨🇺
- Chris Botti, holiday jazz, Dec 9 – Jan 5 🇮🇹
- globalFEST, world music, Jan 12
- NYC Jazz Piano Festival (2024)
- Prototype Opera Theatre Now, Jan 9-19
- Unity Jazz Festival, Jan 10-11
- Winter Jazzfest, Jan 9-15
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
- Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival (2024)
- Three Kings Day Parade, Jan 6 🇵🇷
SPORTS
- Surfing in New York City is at its peak.
THEATRE
- NYC Broadway Week (2024)
- Under the Radar, Jan 4-19
MONTH
- JanArtsNYC is New York City’s performing arts festival for APAP booking agents.
NATIONAL DAYS
- Emancipation Proclamation, Jan 1 🇺🇸
- Haitian Independence Day, Jan 1 🇭🇹
- Dominican Heritage Month, Jan 21-Feb 27 🇩🇴
FESTIVALS
- Letter of the Year, Jan 1 🇨🇺
- Solemnity of Mary, Jan 1 🇮🇹
- Eleguá, Jan 6 🇨🇺
- Three Kings Day, Jan 6 🇵🇷
- Las Octavitas, Jan 7-14 🇵🇷
- San Sebastian, Jan 20 🇵🇷
- Altagracia, Jan 21 🇩🇴
- Lunar New Year, Jan 29 – Feb 12
🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇰🇭 🇰🇷 🇰🇵 🇯🇵 🇲🇳 🇵🇭 🇸🇬 🇹🇼 🇹🇭 - Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jan 27
BIRTHDAYS
- Juan Pablo Duarte, Jan 26 🇩🇴
TRAVEL
La Sanse or Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, Puerto Rico’s biggest festival, is in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Thursday-Sunday, January 16-19, 2025. 🇵🇷
Things To Do in NYC January 1-5, 2025
Wednesday, January 1 | Thursday, January 2 | Friday, January 3 | Saturday, January 4 | Sunday, January 5
ART
African American Mexican Women’s Art
Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies, an engaging retrospective about one of the defining Black woman (and Mexican) artists of the 20th century; is in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; from September 13, 2024 to January 19, 2025. brooklynmuseum.org 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
BOOKS
DANCE THEATRE
The Nutcracker
New York City Ballet “The Nutcracker” is at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center; through January 4, 2025. From $112. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇵🇷 🇪🇸
African American Modern Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates “Legacy in Motion” and Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024) with world premieres of “Sacred Songs” by Matthew Rushing, “Finding Free” by Hope Boykin, “Many Angels” by Lar Lubovitch, and “Al-Andalus Blues” by Jamar Roberts; a 25th Anniversary staging of Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace;” a new production of Elisa Monte’s “Treading;” and beloved Ailey classics including his masterpiece “Revelations.” It’s at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from December 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025. From $42. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇬🇫
Traditional Flamenco Dance
Nélida Tirado dances traditional flamenco at Chez Messy, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30pm. 🇵🇷
DANCE PARTIES
Salsa Dance Party
Latin Mondays at Taj by Talia Castro-Pozo, one of NYC’s most popular Latin dance parties, is at Taj II in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, on Mondays. 5pm doors. 7pm salsa lesson. Live sets at 9pm and 11pm. From $13. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇵🇷🇵🇦🇵🇪🇻🇪
Argentine Tango Dance Party
Tango La Nacional, NYC’s most traditional milonga, is at La Nacional, the Spanish social club in Chelsea, Manhattan on Thursdays. Intermediate class at 7pm. Dancing at 8pm. Gets busy around 9pm. Performances at 11pm. Best dancers arrive late. Dancing ends around 2am. $25 🇦🇷
Argentine Tango Dance Party
El Destino milonga draws brings some of NYC’s best Argentine tango dancers to Solas Bar in Manhattan’s East Village, on Sundays from 6-11pm. From $20. 🇦🇷 🇺🇾
FASHION
FILM
MUSIC
Italian Holiday Jazz
Chris Botti, the New York Italian trumpeter who is one of America’s most popular jazz instrumentalists, plays his 20th Holiday Residency at the Blue Note New York in Greenwich Village; through January 5 at 7pm & 9:30pm (5pm & 9pm doors). From $86. 🇮🇹
Latin Jazz
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra play Latin jazz at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen, on Sundays at 8:30pm & 10:30pm. From $36 + per person minimum. 🇨🇺
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
Three Kings Day Parade ~ (To be confirmed)
The 48th Three Kings Day Breakfast is an opportunity to meet parade honorees and community leaders at El Museo del Barrio in “El Barrio” East Harlem; on Friday, January 3, 2024 from 8:30-10:30am. FREE. 🇵🇷
The 48th Three Kings Day Parade 2025 features the Three Kings, giant puppets, camels, floats and live music including Puerto Rican bomba and plena, and more in the parade on Park Avenue from 106th St to 115th St; on Friday, January 3, 2024 from 11am – 12pm. FREE. 🇧🇷 🇵🇷
The 48th Three Kings Day Celebration follows in El Teatro at El Museo del Barrio in “El Barrio” East Harlem; from 1:30-3pm. FREE. 🇵🇷
SPORTS
Surfing in New York City is at its peak.
THEATRE
NATURE
NATIONAL DAYS
The Emancipation Proclamation made all Americans free on January 1, 1863. 🇺🇸
Haitian Independence Day, January 1, 1804, marks one of the great humanitarian achievements of all time. It’s the only time in history that a people freed themselves, and founded a republic. 🇭🇹
FESTIVALS
Kwanzaa, the African American holiday that was started in New York City, ends with Imani ~ Faith. “Habari Gani?” The Swahili greeting asks “What News?” or in other words, what are you learning?
The Cuban Yoruba community publishes the Letter of the Year, a forecast of events and good behaviors for the coming year. 🇨🇺
The Solemnity of Mary celebrates the divinity of mother and child, on January 1. 🇮🇹
BIRTHDAYS
Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood star, was born in Los Angeles, California on January 3, 1905. 🇺🇸
Alvin Ailey, founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the African American dance company that popularized modern dance around the world, was born in Rogers, Texas (near Austin) on January 5, 1931. 🇺🇸
Things To Do in NYC January 6-12, 2025
Monday, January 6 | Tuesday, January 7 | Wednesday, January 8 | Thursday, January 9 | Friday, January 10 | Saturday, January 11 | Sunday, January 12
ART
African American Mexican Women’s Art
Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies, an engaging retrospective about one of the defining Black woman (and Mexican) artists of the 20th century; is in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; from September 13, 2024 to January 19, 2025. brooklynmuseum.org 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
BOOKS
DANCE THEATRE
Traditional Flamenco Dance
Nélida Tirado dances traditional flamenco at Chez Messy, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30pm. 🇵🇷
DANCE PARTIES
Salsa Dance Party
Latin Mondays at Taj by Talia Castro-Pozo, one of NYC’s most popular Latin dance parties, is at Taj II in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, on Mondays. 5pm doors. 7pm salsa lesson. Live sets at 9pm and 11pm. From $13. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇵🇷🇵🇦🇵🇪🇻🇪
Argentine Tango Dance Party
Tango La Nacional, NYC’s most traditional milonga, is at La Nacional, the Spanish social club in Chelsea, Manhattan on Thursdays. Intermediate class at 7pm. Dancing at 8pm. Gets busy around 9pm. Performances at 11pm. Best dancers arrive late. Dancing ends around 2am. $25 🇦🇷
Argentine Tango Dance Party
El Destino milonga draws brings some of NYC’s best Argentine tango dancers to Solas Bar in Manhattan’s East Village, on Sundays from 6-11pm. From $20. 🇦🇷 🇺🇾
FASHION
FILM
MUSIC
Latin Jazz
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra play Latin jazz at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen, on Sundays at 8:30pm & 10:30pm. From $36 + per person minimum. 🇨🇺
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
THREE KINGS BLOCK PARTY (To be confirmed)
Meet the Three Kings and receive a free gift; at the Three Kings Block Party; at Teatro SEA, at the Clemente Center in Manhattan’s Lower East Side; on Monday, January 6, 2025, from 3-5pm. FREE. 🇵🇷 🎄
SPORTS
Surfing in New York City is at its peak.
THEATRE
NATURE
NATIONAL DAYS
FESTIVALS
Elegúa, the Cuban Yoruba orisha of the crossroads (destiny) and messenger of God, is celebrated on Three Kings Day, January 6, because we always invite the divine when we start something. 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇩🇴 🇭🇹 🇵🇷
Three Kings Day is the Hispanic gift-giving day at the end of Christmas season. It also starts serious pre-Lenten Carnival preparations. 🇪🇸 🇵🇷
Las Octavitas, extend the Puerto Rican Christmas season until January 14 and Puerto Rico’s biggest festival, the Sanse, Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan which begins this year on January 18. 🇵🇷
BIRTHDAYS
Juan Gabriel, “The Mexican Elvis” who opened doors for Latin singers, was born in Parácuaro, Michoacán, Mexico; on January 7, 1950. 🇲🇽
TRAVEL
New Orleans Mardi Gras Carnival starts on Kings Day, January 6 and builds to its climax on Fat Tuesday. 🇺🇸
Things To Do in NYC January 13-19, 2025
Monday, January 13 | Tuesday, January 14 | Wednesday, January 15 | Thursday, January 16 | Friday, January 17 | Saturday, January 18 | Sunday, January 19
ART
African American Mexican Women’s Art
Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies, an engaging retrospective about one of the defining Black woman (and Mexican) artists of the 20th century; is in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; from September 13, 2024 to January 19, 2025. brooklynmuseum.org 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
BOOKS
DANCE THEATRE
Traditional Flamenco Dance
Nélida Tirado dances traditional flamenco at Chez Messy, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30pm. 🇵🇷
DANCE PARTIES
Salsa Dance Party
Latin Mondays at Taj by Talia Castro-Pozo, one of NYC’s most popular Latin dance parties, is at Taj II in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, on Mondays. 5pm doors. 7pm salsa lesson. Live sets at 9pm and 11pm. From $13. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇵🇷🇵🇦🇵🇪🇻🇪
Argentine Tango Dance Party
Tango La Nacional, NYC’s most traditional milonga, is at La Nacional, the Spanish social club in Chelsea, Manhattan on Thursdays. Intermediate class at 7pm. Dancing at 8pm. Gets busy around 9pm. Performances at 11pm. Best dancers arrive late. Dancing ends around 2am. $25 🇦🇷
Argentine Tango Dance Party
El Destino milonga draws brings some of NYC’s best Argentine tango dancers to Solas Bar in Manhattan’s East Village, on Sundays from 6-11pm. From $20. 🇦🇷 🇺🇾
FASHION
FILM
The New York Jewish Film Festival 2025 is at Film at Lincoln Center, from January 15-29, 2025.
MUSIC
Latin Jazz
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra play Latin jazz at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen, on Sundays at 8:30pm & 10:30pm. From $36 + per person minimum. 🇨🇺
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
SPORTS
Surfing in New York City is at its peak.
THEATRE
NATURE
NATIONAL DAYS
FESTIVALS
BIRTHDAYS
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the great American civil rights leader, was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. From the words of Rev. Dr. King, we realized that we are part of his community, and he is part of our community. That expanded our world exponentially. 🇺🇸
Roberto Roena “El Señor Bongó,” a bomba and salsa legend for Cortijo y Su Combo, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound; was born in Dulces Labios, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico on January 16, 1940. 🇵🇷
Things To Do in NYC January 20-26, 2025
Monday, January 20 | Tuesday, January 21 | Wednesday, January 22 | Thursday, January 23 | Friday, January 24 | Saturday, January 25 | Sunday, January 26
ART
The Winter Show, one of America’s largest antiques fairs; is at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan’s Upper East Side; from January 24 – February 2, 2025.
BOOKS
DANCE THEATRE
Traditional Flamenco Dance
Nélida Tirado dances traditional flamenco at Chez Messy, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30pm. 🇵🇷
DANCE PARTIES
Salsa Dance Party
Latin Mondays at Taj by Talia Castro-Pozo, one of NYC’s most popular Latin dance parties, is at Taj II in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, on Mondays. 5pm doors. 7pm salsa lesson. Live sets at 9pm and 11pm. From $13. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇵🇷🇵🇦🇵🇪🇻🇪
Argentine Tango Dance Party
Tango La Nacional, NYC’s most traditional milonga, is at La Nacional, the Spanish social club in Chelsea, Manhattan on Thursdays. Intermediate class at 7pm. Dancing at 8pm. Gets busy around 9pm. Performances at 11pm. Best dancers arrive late. Dancing ends around 2am. $25 🇦🇷
Argentine Tango Dance Party
El Destino milonga draws brings some of NYC’s best Argentine tango dancers to Solas Bar in Manhattan’s East Village, on Sundays from 6-11pm. From $20. 🇦🇷 🇺🇾
FASHION
FILM
MUSIC
Latin Jazz
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra play Latin jazz at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen, on Sundays at 8:30pm & 10:30pm. From $36 + per person minimum. 🇨🇺
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
SPORTS
Surfing in New York City is at its peak.
THEATRE
NATURE
NATIONAL DAYS
FESTIVALS
The Roman Catholic Feast of San Sebastián, the early Christian saint and martyr, a saint of athletes (for his male beauty) and the LGBTQ+ community (for his martyrdom), and protection from plagues (from the Greek god Apollo), is January 20. 🇫🇷 🇮🇹
La Virgen de la Altagracia (The Virgin of Highest Grace) is the patron saint of the Dominican Republic. 🇩🇴
Dominican Heritage Month, from January 21 to February 27, is a New York State celebration of Dominican Heritage, which began with Juan Rodríguez, New York City’s first immigrant, in 1613. 🇩🇴
Lunar New Year 2025 Year of the Snake is the East Asian spring festival. 🇨🇳🇰🇭🇰🇷🇰🇵🇯🇵🇲🇳🇵🇭🇸🇬🇹🇼🇹🇭🇺🇸
BIRTHDAYS
Juan Pablo Duarte, the founding father of the Dominican Republic, was born in Santo Domingo on January 26, 1813. There are celebrations at the Altar de la Patria in Santo Domingo, and Duarte Square in Hudson Square, Manhattan. 🇩🇴
Things To Do in NYC January 27-31, 2025
Monday, January 27 | Tuesday, January 28 | Wednesday, January 29 | Thursday, January 30 | Friday, January 31
ART
Old Masters
Master Drawings New York 2025 shows old masters and new masters in a collaborative art fair of Upper East Side galleries; with a preview on January 31, 2025, and the fair on February 1-8, 2025. FREE.
BOOKS
DANCE THEATRE
Traditional Flamenco Dance
Nélida Tirado dances traditional flamenco at Chez Messy, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30pm. 🇵🇷
DANCE PARTIES
Salsa Dance Party
Latin Mondays at Taj by Talia Castro-Pozo, one of NYC’s most popular Latin dance parties, is at Taj II in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, on Mondays. 5pm doors. 7pm salsa lesson. Live sets at 9pm and 11pm. From $13. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇵🇷🇵🇦🇵🇪🇻🇪
Argentine Tango Dance Party
Tango La Nacional, NYC’s most traditional milonga, is at La Nacional, the Spanish social club in Chelsea, Manhattan on Thursdays. Intermediate class at 7pm. Dancing at 8pm. Gets busy around 9pm. Performances at 11pm. Best dancers arrive late. Dancing ends around 2am. $25 🇦🇷
FASHION
FILM
MUSIC
Latin Jazz
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra play Latin jazz at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen, on Sundays at 8:30pm & 10:30pm. From $36 + per person minimum. 🇨🇺
PARADES & STREET FAIRS
SPORTS
Surfing in New York City is at its peak.