One of the best parts of living in New York City is the never-ending calendar of things to do. It's what helps make the high cost of living here worth it. But an endless list can also make it difficult to ultimately decide how to choose to fill your days and evenings.
To help that decision-making process a bit smoother, so you can get to enjoying all that NYC has to offer a bit quicker, I've compiled a narrowed-down list of things to do around the city in April 2026. If you're like me and try to take advantage of everything happening here without getting too overwhelmed, then this guide is a perfect place to start.
Whether you want to hit a concert this month, attend a sporting event, meet fellow book lovers (and your favorite authors), try a new bar, make it out to a comedy show, or find your way to a pop-up event, this list has you covered.
© Getty ImagesThe New York Sirens will go up against the Seattle Torrent at MSG on April 4th
New York Sirens vs. Seattle Torrent hockey game (April 4th)
Time: 8pm
Location: Madison Square Garden
Be a part of history on Saturday when MSG hosts its first-ever Professional Women’s Hockey League game. The New York Sirens — whose primary home venue is the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — will be going up against the Seattle Torrent for an epic match-up.
Grab a pair of tickets, dress up in a combination of the Sirens' team colors (turquoise/navy blue/white/orange), and cheer with thousands of other hockey-,women's sports-loving fans in the crowd!
If you're not able to secure tickets to the in-demand event, there's another way in. While supporting another local women's sports team at a watch party earlier in the day, you can enter a raffle to win a pair of hockey tickets for later in the evening.
Gotham FC, the National Women's Soccer League team based in New York and New Jersey, is teaming up for the event with StubHub, which is launching its HerSportsHub ticket resale hub. The two are hosting a watch party at the women's sports bar Blazers in Brooklyn for Gotham FC's away game against the Kansas City Current. Head to the bar for the 4pm kickoff, where you'll not only be able to watch the game with other fans but also enter a raffle for tickets to the Sirens hockey game happening later that very same night.
© Getty ImagesJackson Wang performs at the 2026 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles
Jackson Wang concert (April 10th)
Time: 8pm
Location: Barclays Center
Tickets (regular and more premium options, including The Toki Row club experience)
The MAGICMAN himself, Jackson Wang, is returning to Barclays for what's sure to be another electrifying performance. The soloist and GOT7 member last hit the Brooklyn stage in May 2023 in support of his first MAGICMAN album, and now he's coming back after the recent release of his follow-up album, MAGICMAN 2. After being blessed during the 2023 show with a dose of the magic that is Jackson's music and dancing (complete with help from the famed Kinjaz dance crew, who are also working with him on this tour), I can safely say this upcoming show is not an event one would want to miss.
In December, Jackson spoke with Best Quality Designer Handbag at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles about what fans can expect from his MAGICMAN 2 tour. He promised the shows will be "crazy," including moments of intimate fan participation. "I always, at the end of my shows, I always bring people on stage. I fill up the entire stage with people, because I feel like it's a both-way thing, rather than just me, it's a performance. I want people to be in it." Need a general sense of what the experience will feel like? "Party vibes.”
If you're looking to get the vibes going early, The K-Pop eXPerience and VIBE Entertainment are hosting an unofficial pre-party the night before at Mission NYC. The event begins at 7pm on April 9th and will give fans the chance to meet up with one another ahead of time, practice their dance moves, and warm up their vocal chords before dancing and singing along with the live version.
(P.S. For the Jackson fans reading this, here's little extra, non-concert tidbit from our interview with him. As he's an all-around performer, athlete, and businessman, who proves time and again there's nothing he can't do, I've found it surprising we haven't seen him really give acting a try. Thus, Best Quality Designer Handbag asked him about it. "I don't know if anybody wants me to be a part of any movie. Even for like 20 seconds, 10 seconds, I'm down.” Clearly, he needs some encouragement from his fans who would all love to see him do anything and everything.)
© After EdenManhattan's newest day-to-night Vietnamese cafe-to-cocktail bar, After Eden
After Eden cafe-turned-bar opening (April 10th)
Time: Opens 10am
Location: 162 Orchard Street, New York, NY
In the beautiful time of remote working, solo reading outings, and both coffee and bar dates, it's helpful to have the perfect place in your back pocket no matter the occasion. The soon-to-open After Eden looks to be that place. Located in the Lower East Side, the new venture from Founder and Beverage Director Gelo Honrade is part cafe, part bar, and wholly intriguing.
After Eden will open daily at 10am, starting off with café offerings of Vietnamese coffee and concoctions (the Jackfruit Latte sounds delicious!), pastries, and draft cocktails. Once evening hits, the cafe will transition into a bar, with the lights dimming and unique cocktails, like the Pho-tini, flowing. As for the food, Chef Nancy Nguyen (Beacoup NYC founder) crafted a daytime menu with various options, including a housemade bánh mì, and a nighttime menu, with a series of small plates.
© MSG EntertainmentThe sixth Garden of Laughs comedy benefit show will be held at Radio City this year
Garden of Laughs comedy show (April 13th)
Time: 8pm
Location: Radio City Music Hall
Who couldn't use a laugh these days, especially on a Monday? And support a charity in the process? Not a bad deal at all. Garden of Laughs is celebrity stand-up comedy benefit show raising money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which helps bring education and grants to young people in need. This mark's the sixth edition of the show and its first time at Radio City.
The evening's packed lineup features a long list of fan-favorite comedians, including Ronny Chieng, Zarna Garg, Josh Johnson, Hasan Minhaj, John Oliver, Andrew Schulz and Iliza Shlesinger. To help bring the whole night together, Blue Bloods star Steve Schirripa is returning as the event's host.
© Grey GooseGrey Goose and "The Devil Wears Prada 2" have teamed up for The Devil's Roast cocktail
Grey Goose x "The Devil Wears Prada 2" cocktail pop-up (April 14th, 21st, and 23rd)
Time: 12–2 PM and 4–6 PM
Location: Zuccotti Park and Manhattan West Plaza
The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn't release in theaters until May 1, but Grey Goose is helping hold fans over until then with a cocktail pop-up in the city. The cart will be stationed at multiple locations in Manhattan and on multiple days, giving you more chances to make your way over there to taste test the collaboration cocktail.
What is it, you ask? It's a remixed espresso martini, complete with gold-dusted coffee beans, called The Devil's Roast. Fans can try the fashionable concoction at the pop-up carts, along with small tastings of gold-dusted popcorn.
© Instagram/BookConBookCon is back after a years-long hiatus
BookCon (April 18th-19th)
Time: Begins 10:00am
Location: Javits Center
Tickets (if you're not able to get tickets, sign up for the newsletter to hear about any last-minute drops, as well as about future events)
BookCon is back! The multi-day convention for book lovers was canceled after its last edition — which was online in 2020 due to the pandemic — but now it's back and looks to be bigger than ever. For an entire weekend this month, readers from all over will get the chance to meet their favorite authors, hear from them on panels, and have them sign their books. It's also the perfect place to meet fellow readers and, perhaps, find a few new book-loving friends.
The event, which is run by ReedPop (aka the company that also runs New York Comic Con), has a long list of authors participating. Here is a lengthy but still very shortened list of some of the amazing names that'll be attending:
Adalyn Grace (Belladonna series), Alyssa Cole (A Princess in Theory), Andy Weir (Project Hail Mary), Angela Montoya (A Cruel Thirst), Ava Reid (A Study in Drowning), Axie Oh (XOXO), B.K. Borison (First-Time Caller), Casey McQuiston (Red, White and Royal Blue), Cassandra Clare (Shadowhunters series), Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights), Christina Lauren (The Unhoneymooners), Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die), De Elizabeth (This Raging Sea), E. Lockhart (We Were Liars), Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date), Jennifer Iacopelli (Finding Her Edge), Jessica Cunsolo (She's With Me), Kat Cho (Once Upon a K-Prom), Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone), Lyla Lee (I'll Be the One), Lynn Painter (Better Than the Movies), Marie Lu (Red City), Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries), Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods), Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six), Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry), R.F. Kuang (Babel), Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me), Veronica Roth (Divergent), and Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen)
© NAKED, Inc.KINO is bringing his FREE KINO world tour to America, beginning with his April 19th show in New York City
KINO concert (April 19th)
Time: 5pm
Location: Mercury Lounge
KINO, a member of the beloved K-pop group PENTAGON and a soloist under his own label, Naked, is heading out on the U.S. leg of his FREE KINO world tour this month. On April 19th, he'll kick things off with his show in New York City, performing a stacked setlist. The singer will bring songs off his projects Everybody's Guilty, but No One's to Blame and This Is Love, I Want a Refund, as well as hopefully a few from his brand-new EP, Lost and Found.
With the concert taking place at one of my favorite venues in NYC, the very intimate Mercury Lounge, the KINO concert experience will only be that much more exciting and special.
Plus, with a new EP, his world tour in progress, the music video for his new single "TAXI" now out, and his group Pentagon marking its 10th anniversary this year, KINO has a lot to celebrate when he hits that New York stage — and he promises his energy will match all of that excitement.
Aptly named the FREE KINO world tour, the 28-year-old artist explained how he hopes fans are able to let loose and feel a sense of freedom during his show — just like he has and continues to do through his music and his performances.
"As you follow my journey of letting go, I want you to feel that same freedom too, from work, from everything around you, and from worrying about what others think," KINO told Best Quality Designer Handbag via email. "I'll keep the lights low so you can fully let go. So go ahead and dance, sing, and shout like nobody’s watching."
Another benefit of letting go and giving yourself over to the music and the intimate-venue vibes? "The more you let go, the longer I’ll stay on stage," the singer promised.
To help make the freeing experience come as easy as possible, KINO revealed one of the songs he'll be performing during the show is his high-energy collaboration with Garzón Robie, "Flake."
"The whole room turns into a rave," he shared of the moment on tour when he plays this song. "We’ve gone up to five repeats so far, so I have high expectations for New York."
© Getty ImagesDemi Lovato is heading out on their It's Not That Deep Tour in support of their new album
Demi Lovato concert (April 24th *date subject to change due to NBA playoffs*)
Time: 8pm
Location: Madison Square Garden
As someone who's seen Demi Lovato perform more than 15 times, through all of their different eras, I feel confident they won't disappoint anyone attending their upcoming It's Not That Deep Tour. Their shows are always high energy, high emotion, and high on fun — and with the dance-pop vibe of their new album, their upcoming Barclays show promises to keep that reputation going. With a new album, a new cookbook, and producer credit on the upcoming Camp Rock 3, Demi has a lot to celebrate and they're sure to bring all that energy onto the stage.
On top of that, this stop happens to specifically be one of the ones Demi's most looking forward to performing at. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, guest host Andy Cohen asked Demi which venue their most excited about, and they revealed, "I am excited to play all of the shows, but I've never headlined Madison Square Garden before!" She also teased a bit of the setlist, sharing that fans can expect to hear both "Cool for the Summer" and "Heart Attack."
Joining Demi on tour as their opening act is singer Adéla, who gained a large following of fans after appearing as a contestant on the Katseye-forming reality show Dream Academy, and its subsequent Netflix release, Pop Star Academy: Katseye.
© Getty ImagesThe New York Liberty will play a preseason game at home against the Indiana Fever on April 25th
New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever basketball game (April 25th)
Time: 3pm
Location: Barclays Center
With the NCAA women's basketball season coming to a close, fans of the sport might be feeling slightly down — but you don't have to feel that way for too much longer. The WNBA season is right around the corner, and New York's very own Liberty are kicking things off a bit earlier with a preseason home game at the end of the month.
Catch the beloved team when they play against the Indiana Fever in an afternoon match-up on April 25 at 3pm. While not part of the official season, there's never anything "unofficial" about the energy and excitement in the Barclays Center air at a New York Liberty game. Plus, if you're just joining the fandom or looking to go to your first game, this is a perfect way to dip your toes in — but get ready, because you'll immediately want to submerge yourself and become a superfan. So, welcome.
Tickets are now available for the game, and you can choose from regular seats or have a treat-yourself day with seats inside one of the arena's premium clubs, including The Toki Row and Gallagher Terrace. Not able to make it this time around or just already want to plan ahead? The New York Liberty will play their first in-season game at Barclays, their true "home opener," against the Connecticut Sun on May 8. Tickets for this match-up are also now available.
