Festival of Firsts

The fifth annual Festival of Firsts showcases performers boldly exploring new artistic territories. Experience this only-in-New York series of premiere performances, U.S. debuts, album debuts, and career milestone sets—all for free. This year’s lineup includes three major U.S. debuts: Bogotá indie rockers Nicolás y Los Fumadores; Spanish-Chilean indie folk and flamenco pioneers Emilia y Pablo; and LOL: Laughing Out Lonely, a solo opera by acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen. Catch two Lincoln Center premieres from JUNO Award–winning Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie and multidisciplinary titan suhREEtah—plus even more boundless creativity from a slate of performers destined for big things. You’ll spend the rest of the season saying, “I saw them first!”