Top NYC Events in September 2026: Fashion Week, U.S. Open, San Gennaro, Art Fairs and More

From New York Fashion Week and the U.S. Open finals to the 100th Feast of San Gennaro, major art fairs, concerts and film, here are the NYC events worth putting on your calendar this September

September puts the spark back in New York City.

As summer winds down, the city shifts into high gear with New York Fashion Week, the U.S. Open finals, the 100th Feast of San Gennaro and a packed calendar of art, theater, music and film — plenty of reasons to head back into town, even if you’re not quite ready to give up weekends, or life, out East.

This September also marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with commemorations across the city honoring those who were killed and the first responders, survivors and families forever affected.

Here are Spark Hamptons’ picks for the top events in NYC this September.

Fashion

New York Fashion Week

Thursday, Sept. 10-Tuesday, Sept. 15

Tommy Hilgiger photo campagn with Travis Kelce. Photo courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger

New York Fashion Week kicks off the city’s fall fashion season with runway shows, presentations, parties and events across Manhattan and beyond. The official schedule brings together major American designers and rising names, with Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Calvin Klein Collection, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, Khaite, LaQuan Smith, Anna Sui, Prabal Gurung and more among the designers showing this season. Most official designer runway shows are industry events and invitation-only, but select shows, presentations and Fashion Week events are open or ticketed to the public.

Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses

Through Jan. 3, 2027

Brooklyn Museum

Iris van Herpen. Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. Laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. Collaborator: Philip Beesley. Model: Yue Han. Photo: David Ụzọchukwu

Fashion meets art, science and technology in Iris van Herpen’s first major New York exhibition. More than 140 haute couture creations trace the groundbreaking Dutch designer’s work and creative process alongside contemporary art, design and scientific objects. New York Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis, who recently visited the exhibition, named it one of her must-sees in New York in our SPARK Fast Five.

Remembering Sept. 11

25th Anniversary of Sept. 11

Friday, Sept. 11

9-11 Memorial, Tribute in Light. Photo: 911memorial.org

New York City marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with the annual commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial, including moments of silence and the reading of the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

At night, the annual Tribute in Light sends twin beams into the Lower Manhattan sky. For the 25th anniversary, the tribute will also be the centerpiece of a special live broadcast featuring performances by Cyndi Lauper, Lainey Wilson and John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting.

911memorial.org

Sports

U.S. Open Finals Weekend

Saturday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 13
Women’s final: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Men’s final: Sunday, 2 p.m.

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows

Arthur Ashe Stadium. Photo courtesy of U.S. Open

The final weekend of the U.S. Open brings the biggest matches of the tournament to Arthur Ashe Stadium as the women’s and men’s singles champions are crowned. See our Spark Hamptons U.S. Open Guide for more on what to know before you go.

usopen.org

Food + Festivals

100th Feast of San Gennaro

Thursday, Sept. 17-Sunday, Sept. 27
Daily from 11:30 a.m.
Free admission

Little Italy, Manhattan

Zeppoles, sausage and peppers, cannoli, music, processions and 15 blocks of Little Italy: The Feast of San Gennaro celebrates its 100th anniversary with 11 days of festivities centered on Mulberry Street. Centennial programming includes special performances from Naples, food competitions, religious observances and the Grand Procession on Sept. 26.

San Gennaro festival. Photo: sangennaronyc.org

Theater

NYC Broadway Week

Through Sunday, Sept. 20

From favorite long running shows to buzz-worthy new hits, get 2-for-1 tickets to Broadway shows during Broadway Week

Broadway Week is back with 2-for-1 tickets to participating productions, including Wicked, The Lion King, The Outsiders, Oh, Mary!, Hadestown, MJ The Musical, The Book of Mormon, Six and more.

nyctourism.com/broadway-week

Art

Affordable Art Fair

Wednesday, Sept. 16-Sunday, Sept. 20

Starrett-Lehigh Building, Manhattan

Affordable Art Fair, NYC. Photo: affordableartfair.com

The Affordable Art Fair returns with contemporary art from galleries around the world and original works at a broad range of price points — whether you’re looking to buy or simply browse.

Taryn Simon: Father Country I Do Love You

Opens Friday, Sept. 18

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Taryn Simon, One Little Room On Fire. Guggenheim Museum NYC

The Guggenheim devotes its rotunda to a single new body of work by Taryn Simon — the first time the museum has done so for a photography-based artist. Ten years in the making, the installation brings together 42 works spanning photography, text, video and sculpture.

The Armory Show

Thursday, Sept. 24-Sunday, Sept. 27

Javits Center

One of New York’s biggest art-world weekends returns later than usual this year. The 32nd edition of The Armory Show brings roughly 230 galleries representing more than 30 countries to the Javits Center.

The Armory Show 202

Music

Sara Bareilles

Friday, Sept. 18

Radio City Music Hall

Sara Bareilles will be at Radio City Music Hall

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Broadway star Sara Bareilles takes the Radio City stage for a September night in New York.

Global Citizen Festival

Saturday, Sept. 26
Gates open at 2 p.m.; show begins at 4 p.m.

Great Lawn, Central Park

Globalcitzen.org

Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fugees’ The Score, joined by Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Hugh Jackman hosts, with appearances by Rachel Brosnahan and Gayle King.

Tom Jones

Monday, Sept. 28-Tuesday, Sept. 29

Beacon Theatre

The legendary Welsh singer brings more than six decades of hits — and that unmistakable voice — to the Beacon Theatre for two nights.

Tom Jones at the Beacon Theater

Film

64th New York Film Festival

Friday, Sept. 25-Monday, Oct. 12

Lincoln Center

Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas the NY Film Festival

One of New York’s essential fall film events opens Sept. 25 with James Gray’s Paper Tiger, starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson. The festival brings major filmmakers, international films, premieres, Q&As and special appearances to Lincoln Center.

Don’t Miss

2026 Bus Festival

Saturday, Sept. 19
10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Free

Emily Warren Roebling Plaza, Brooklyn Bridge Park

Climb aboard New York transit history as the New York Transit Museum brings its vintage fleet to Brooklyn Bridge Park, from a 1931 double-decker to the first air-conditioned bus in the U.S. Also on display is “Pamela,” a commuter bus badly damaged at the World Trade Center on 9/11, later rebuilt with a special memorial livery. Vintage buses, the Manhattan skyline and a piece of New York history make this one worth the trip.

2019 Bus Festival at Brooklyn Bridge. Photo by Filip Wolak
Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .