Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs announced the lineup for this summer's Alive at Five concert series on Tuesday.
The free weekly concerts on Thursdays between June 4 and July 16 will be held at multiple sites around the city this year, including the series' historic home — Jennings Landing, on Broadway in the city's Warehouse District, and at Washington and Tricentennial parks.
Headline artists include Jon B; We The Kings; B.o.B.; You, Me and Afrobeats; FJ - A tribute to Foreigner and Journey featuring Dom Demenech; and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (see a full list below).
Applyrs said she intentionally chose the group of venues as a way to make the shows more accessible to more residents.
"I’ve heard from some people that Jennings Landing does not always feel accessible, and so, some people stay home despite hearing that one of their favorite entertainers will be in town," the mayor said. "And so, this gives us the opportunity to tap into so many different communities."
Applyrs’ office said the change is also a response to the results of a survey her administration received at the end of her first 100 days in office. One of the recommendations that came out of the survey of more than 6,000 residents was to expand cultural programming and events across Albany neighborhoods.
Applyrs said growing audiences for cultural events is key to her goal of “turning the lights back on.”
"Some people would like to think that we've lost our luster, the point being we are really taking that narrative back and being really intentional in my administration about ensuring that we showcase all of what makes Albany a great city," Applyrs said.
Keith Morales, the new director of the city Office of Cultural Affairs, said the eclectic lineup announced Tuesday reflects the city’s diversity. Each night has a musical theme, including R&B, hip hop, funk and jam, emo, afrobeats and classic rock.
"We used to do years ago ... classic rock every show. ... and we wanted to expand on that," Morales said. "We wanted to do a hip hop show, and then maybe next year we'll do a Latin night or a country night. ... We don't want you to just assume there's gonna be the same genre. We wanna reach out to different genres, fresh genres, and, like, Afrobeats has been going all over the place throughout the world, and it's a big thing that we wanted to bring."
As city leaders continue to grapple with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, the mayor's office said the city’s 2026 adopted budget has allocated a little over $260,000 for the concerts. A spokesperson for the mayor said the city expects to make about $100,000 of that money back in sponsorships, beer and wine sales, and vendor fees.
2026 Alive at Five lineup
June 4: R&B Night at Jennings Landing
Jon B with D. Lawson Experience and Geri Howard Phillips
June 11: Emo Night and Pride celebration at Jennings Landing
We The Kings with Side-B
June 18: Hip Hop Night and Juneteenth celebration at Tri-Centennial Park
B.o.B. with Aila Chiar and DJ King Bully
June 25: Afrobeats Night in the Warehouse District on Broadway
You, Me & Afrobeats with DJ TGIF, Soular Sounds and Afrellie
July 9: Classic Rock Night at Washington Park Lakehouse
FJ - A tribute to Foreigner and Journey featuring Dom Demenech with Ginger Geezus
July 16: Funk and Jam Night at Washington Park Lakehouse
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong with The Nolanauts
