Ten curated Scope NYC picks for Sunday, August 16, 2026.
Wolf and Brown's Chick Corea program gives the early evening a composed jazz centerpiece instead of another loose club set.
Taiwanese Waves turns Central Park into the day's biggest free global-pop bill, with 9m88 and ØZI giving it real shape.
Magnarelli's Smalls quartet is the straight-ahead jazz pick with more local credibility than the Sunday tourist rooms.
Michael R. Jackson at Joe's Pub brings songwriter-theater charge to a night that is otherwise heavy on standard concerts.
Lady Bunny's birthday tea dance at C'mon Everybody is the sharpest queer Sunday party on the board.
Drag and poetry at Dada gives the list a live literary-performance option with a more intimate crowd.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's castle thriller at BAM is the repertory-grade film slot that can stand beside the live picks.
Jamala at Music Hall of Williamsburg is the Sunday concert with the clearest international pull and a serious fan base.
Caveat's expert-comedy format lands well here, with Alison Leiby and Dr. Karen Tang making the subject the point.
Hisaishi at Radio City is a true big-room occasion, not just a prestige name dropped onto the calendar.