Harlem Week is enlivened with soulful performances by Harlem Summerstage
The vibrant streets of Harlem are set to come alive once again as the 2025 Harlem Summer of Soul festival kicks off, marking the start of the two-week-long Harlem Week celebrations. This year's festival promises an eclectic mix of music, featuring a diverse lineup of artists rooted in or inspired by Harlem's cultural identity.
The festival, taking place every Thursday night in August at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, is more than just a concert. It's a movement in true Harlem fashion, reflecting the neighbourhood's diverse musical heritage.
Established community artists such as Clean Money Music and Bobby Sanabria, along with rising stars like Jaay Parks and Shauney, will take the stage, bringing soulful and jazz-rooted sounds, as well as fresh energy to the event. Funk guitarist Keith “The Captain” Gamble, who has performed at recent Summerstage events linked with Harlem Week, and Christopher McBride, who leads the National Jazz Museum in Harlem House Band, will also be performing.
The festival is deeply embedded within Harlem Week, an event focused on highlighting Harlem’s rich culture, including music, style, food, and community resources. Harlem Week includes job fairs, senior days, markets, and scholarships aimed at benefiting residents, emphasising Harlem’s vibrancy and historical legacy.
This year's main sponsors for Harlem Week include Amazon Access, Chase Bank, Northwell Health, West Harlem Development Corporation, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Mount Sinai, Columbia University, and the City College of New York.
The festival's aim is to evoke the same sense of community pride as the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a pivotal moment in Harlem's history. The event is described as "A Saturday of nonstop fun on the streets of Harlem", including events like Summer Streets block parties.
Jazzmobile, an organisation founded in 1964, is a significant contributor to the festival, with Robin Bell-Stevens directing Great Jazz on the Great Hill. Jazzmobile offers free programming and education programs, including workshops and a residency in a Title I school in the Bronx.
The festival is not just a celebration of music, but also a testament to the hard work and dedication of individuals like Lloyd Williams, the Executive Director of the Greater Harlem Chamber Of Commerce, who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life and shape the cultural and economic identity of Harlem and the city as a whole.
In memory of Lloyd Williams, who passed away at 80 years old on Aug. 6, the festival stands as a symbol of the community spirit he embodied and the cultural legacy he helped to create. The 2025 Harlem Summer of Soul festival is a culturally significant, multi-artist event that showcases both legendary and new local musicians along with community engagement initiatives, firmly rooted in Harlem’s historic and contemporary music scene.
The 2025 Harlem Summer of Soul festival, deeply embedded within Harlem Week, offers more than just music, extending to home-and-garden, entertainment, and lifestyle events, such as Summer Streets block parties and job fairs aimed at benefiting residents. This multifaceted festival, a symbol of the community spirit embodied by Lloyd Williams, is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of individuals who help shape Harlem's cultural identity, like Jazzmobile, a significant contributor to the festival.
