Fittingly for Killian, the event will take place at the main SummerStage venue in Central Park.
Clint Maedgen, Kyle Roussel, Branden Lewis, Walter Harris, and Ronell Johnson of Preservation Hall Jazz Band perform on stage during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Music Festival at Woldenberg Park on April 01, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for WarnerMedia
Forty years ago, Joe Killian, motivated by the idea of offering free concerts to New Yorkers, founded SummerStage in Central Park. Since then (and despite substantial hurdles, especially in its early days), SummerStage has grown into a New York City institution, bringing around 200,000 people each year to parks around the five boroughs.
On Sept. 10, at City Parks Foundation’s 2026 dinner and concert benefit fundraiser, Killian will be honored with the 2026 SummerStage Icon Award for founding and executive producing the festival from 1986-1993 (he continues to serve on the SummerStage board and is the founder of Killian + Company).
