Weekend Guide: Ariana Grande, the End of the World Cup, Brooklyn Unity Fest

By Shawn Setaro

Well, Brooklyn, we made it. We survived, in rapid succession, an NBA championship and its attendant madness; a hotly contested election that nearly made the tabloids run out of communist puns; the Brooklyn Bridge being set on fire; three nights of Hov at Yankee Stadium; and now, finally, the entirety of the World Cup. 

It’s that last event that’s at the center of our latest Weekend Guide. We’ve of course got a watch party, in case you haven’t yet found the perfect bar for your soccer viewing. We’ve also got a release party for a book about the inner workings of FIFA.

There is, per usual, a lot more besides soccer. Street fairs, classic movies, classic ancient Greek stories (no, not that one), and an Ariana Grande residency, for starters. Check it all out below.

Thursday, July 16

WE Lime: Little Caribbean Night Market @ Washington Avenue & Empire Boulevard
5 p.m.

Year two of the Caribbean evening market at Washington and Empire promises to be better than ever. There will be a rotating lineup (the event happens once a month through October) of local vendors, music, games, and more. 

RED CARD Party @ Chilo’s
6 p.m.

This year’s World Cup has not been without its controversies, chiefly a certain red-card decision. Jules Boykoff’s new book, RED CARD: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine, explores the machinations behind soccer’s governing body. The author will be there, speaking with The Nation’s sports guy Dave Zirin and Max Alvarez of The Real News Network.

Blu & Exile @ Baby’s All Right
9:30 p.m.

This hip-hop duo’s 2007 LP, Below the Heavens, is generally regarded as one of the best underground rap albums of the decade, if not of all time. Now you can get a chance to see them do their thing in person at a club that has in recent years become BK’s answer to SOB’s—the small room to see unforgettable, unmissable rap shows.

Ariana Grande: The Eternal Sunshine Tour @ Barclays Center
8 p.m.

Ariana is bringing her tour, her first since 2019, to Brooklyn for five nights (the 13th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 19th). This residency is your chance to catch her perform her own catalog before she turns to Sondheim next year.

Friday, July 17

T.I. – The King Succession Tour @ Brooklyn Paramount
7 p.m.

Tip has just released what he is calling his final album, Kill the King. Now he’s coming to town to continue the end-of-career victory lap. As the title of the tour implies, his sons King and Domani will be on hand as well.

Brooklyn Lives! From the River to NYC: Poetry, Music, Art & Solidarity @ Littlefield
7 p.m.

Amanda Seales and comedian Sharif Hasan are hosting this event, which serves as a variety show, a live auction, and a launch and fundraising gathering for two very worthy projects. The first is the 3D digital exhibit Art for Palestine, put on by Create Humanity. The second is a poetry anthology called Patterns of Return.

moments after Aias @ Jack
7:30 p.m.

If you’ve already seen The Odyssey and are hungering for more Greek classics, we’ve got you covered. Jack is putting on Andrew Watkins’ “free adaptation” of Sophocles’ 5th-century-BCE tragedy Ajax. 

Alfreda’s Cinema, Foxy Brown (1974) @ Saratoga Park
8:30 p.m.

Alfreda’s Cinema, a borough-based “micro-cinema” focused on Black and brown filmmakers, is bringing a classic to Bed-Stuy. Pam Grier’s Foxy Brown is one of the most influential blaxploitation films of its era. Now you can watch her iconic performance (and hear Willie Hutch’s score) among like-minded fans. 

Saturday, July 18

Bushwick Family Day @ Irving Square Park
9 a.m.

Games, food, and good vibes for all can be found at this community gathering. It runs all day until 10 p.m. and, as its name implies, is perfect for all ages.

Brooklyn Unity Fest @ Restoration Plaza
1 p.m.

Heavy hitters are coming out for this festival. Amerie is headlining, and the one and only Max B is also on the bill. In addition, Tesehki will be there, as will BK’s own Rowdy Rebel. So make sure you have your computers charged up and ready to go.

Cabros Chicos: Colombian Independence Day | Dance Party In Brooklyn @ 2 Knickerbocker Ave.
10 p.m.

Celebrate Colombian Independence Day with the best Latin music out there. Plus, at midnight, there will be Hora Loca, the “crazy hour” where you can really let loose.  

Afro Carnival Riddim N Bass @ The Sultan Room
11 p.m.

All of the sounds of the Caribbean will be bumping here: soca, dancehall, reggae, Afrobeats, and much, much more. Bring your flag! And if your birthday is in July, you get in for free!

Sunday, July 19

FAD Market: Summer Pop-up [Cobble Hill] @ St. Paul Hall
11 a.m.

Over five dozen makers and small businesses will be sharing their wares. Whether you want food, jewelry, clothes, home goods, or that perfect, indefinable, know-it-when-you-see-it gift, it’s sure to be here. 

Finals Watch Party @ Elsewhere
1:30 p.m.

You’ve undoubtedly gone World Cup crazy by now (even if you’re World Cup skeptical). So celebrate the end of it all with this full-venue watch party. It’s free and has TBA “special guests.” 

The Vampire Lestat *Finale Viewing Party* @ C’mon Everybody
8 p.m.

It’s not just the World Cup that’s ending tonight. This new, revamped incarnation of Interview With the Vampire, focusing on vampire-as-rock-star Lestat de Lioncourt, is coming to the end of its season as well. So get together with other Anne Rice heads, party, and maybe cry a few tears (of blood). 

Disasterpiece Movie Night: Miami Connection @ Wonderville
8 p.m.

Miami Connection is an insane ’80s kitsch masterpiece that truly has to be seen to be believed. We would attempt to summarize it but, uh, just trust us. Anyway, now you can see it for yourself, for free, with a room full of people who know exactly what they’re getting into.