The 14th Annual New York City Poetry Festival
July 12 + 13, 2025
Nolan Park, Governors Island
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Ready for one of the most unique experiences you’ll have this summer in New York City?
Travel by water to Governors Island and submerge yourself in the awe-inspiring world of New York City poetry—and so much more. You will never experience anything like it.
Hear poetry hailing from every corner of NYC
Share your poems on our open-mic stage
Soak up the sun with friends, including the ones you’ll make
Enjoy food and drinks from a delicious range of NYC food trucks and vendors
Explore local art, bookmakers, music, theater, and the weird and natural wonders of the island
Our 2025 Headliners are TBD!
2024’s headliners who captured the wonderful soul of New York City were:
At the New York City Poetry Festival, it’s all poetry to us.
What is poetry, really? Words on a page? Clowns in colorful socks? Accordion music? Parasols? Nature? Abandoned buildings? A solar-powered merry-go-round? These are simply a few of the magical, poetic experiences you will encounter.
Why do people love the New York City Poetry Festival? See for your yourself.
“On Governor’s Island, poetry is alive and it is for everyone.”
“It’s amazing an event so profoundly transformative exists at all AND it’s free. I love taking the ferry out to that tiny island of poetry each summer.”
“I spotted a disproportionate number of urbanites with straw hats tilted on their heads in a suspiciously jaunty manner. ”
Join us and get to know The Poetry Society of New York!
The Poetry Society of New York has a simple mission: to redefine poetry’s place in our culture through a growing portfolio of innovative experiments and experiences.