Weekend Guide: STooPS Summer Fest, YOASOBI, Music From the Movies

By Shawn Setaro

From heavy metal to Hawaii and J-pop to jazz, late summer in Brooklyn has all the alliterative fun you can imagine. This week, we’re bringing you immersive Ibsen, Amisola, and Anggara, and plenty of other activities that I can’t think of same-letter puns for right now. Check it all out in our Weekend Guide below.

Thursday, August 6

Counter-Occupation: Chia Amisola and Herdimas Anggara @ Asia Art Archive in America
6:30 p.m.

Amisola and Anggara are putting on a whole night of conversation and performance connected to the online exhibition Prototypes for Alternative Power, which you can see here. Anggara will put on a piece called RASUK about technology and occupation, and Amisol will present SQUATTING, a “browser-based artwork” about cybersquatting and land rights. After the presentations, the artists will engage in a conversation with curator Celine Wong Katzman.

Ghosts: An Immersive Stage Reading @ Casa Duse
7:30 p.m.

The New Place Players are putting on this immersive presentation of Ibsen’s 1880s classic. There will be live musical accompaniment and Scandinavian hors d’oeuvres, and the whole production will take place throughout a real 19th-century townhouse.

YOASOBI: Never Ending Stories Tour @ Barclays Center
8 p.m.

The J-pop duo are bringing their short-story-like songs to Barclays Center. They’re only doing six North American dates, so you better catch them while you can.

Friday, August 7

Open Court Summer Series @ Linden Park Tennis Courts
5 p.m.

We all could stand to pick up a new hobby. So why not tennis? Whether you want to dip your toe into the sport or you’re an experienced, um, tennis-ist (hey, we’re novices!), you can have two hours of open courts just by making a reservation—and you can name your price!

Film Fridays – Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown @ Ornithology
6 p.m.

There are few joys in life better than watching Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 darkly comic classic. But one thing that might be better is watching it while checking out some live jazz. One ticket gets you into jazz shows, the film, and a late-night jam session.

15 Years of Darker Than Wax with Haseeb Iqbal, Marco Weibel and more @ Elsewhere
10:30 p.m.

The electronic music label celebrates its 15th with an incredible lineup of DJs and performers taking over the whole venue, including Haseeb Iqbal, Honey Bun, Lefto Early Bird, and Marco Weibel. Most notably, rapper Nappy Nina will be performing live in Elsewhere’s Loft.

Saturday, August 8

Black VegFest 2026: Food Sovereignty and Farmland Equity @ Lincoln Terrace / Arthur S. Somers Park
12 p.m.

The biggest single-day vegan festival in the city is here again. This time, they’re combining five different festivals to celebrate Black culture and vegan food. There will be live music, films, talks, workshops, and of course more delicious plant-based food than you could possibly imagine. 

STooPS 2026 Summer Festival: Joy As Resistance @ Decatur St between Lewis Ave & Stuyvesant Ave
1 p.m.

The festival that celebrates all that is Bed-Stuy is back. Art crawls, live music, vendors, and notable community honorees including Nikole Hannah-Jones will be on hand. And the whole thing is hosted by the inimitable Koku.

BROOKLYN CARNIVAL – Summer Dancehall & Soca Day Festival @ Bear Backyard Brooklyn
4 p.m.

Watch out for this one. This Jamaican independence party promises around a thousand people for “Brooklyn’s wildest Carnival day party.” Bring your flags, and get ready for all the soca, dancehall, and reggae you can handle. 

Rock Voices Brooklyn Presents: Music from the Movies! @ Old First Reformed Church
7 p.m.

A 110-voice-strong choir takes on pop and rock songs from films old and new. You’ll hear gems from HUNTR/X, Simon & Garfunkel, ABBA, Phil Collins, Carly Simon, the Bee Gees, and many more.

Sunday, August 9

African Popup Festival 2026 – Summer Edition @ Hillel Plaza
12 p.m. (and August 8)

The folks behind African Restaurant Week are putting this one together, so you know the food vendors are going to be on point. There will even be a jollof tasting competition. On top of that, top-notch DJs and live performers will be on hand.

Sip and Slow Jams Presents: A Seat Next to HER – Whitney X Mariah Edition @ Saint James Libations
6 p.m.

Today would have marked Whitney Houston’s 63rd birthday. To commemorate, Sip and Slow Jams is putting on this party featuring all your favorite Whitney and Mariah records, as well as a live performance by a special, not-yet-announced guest.

Circus of Power, Tim Mosher and his Junkyard Friends @ Lucky 13 Saloon
6 p.m.

Get out that old jean jacket with the band patches for this one. Circus of Power and (members of) Junkyard are coming out to play. The two bands represented hard rock at its ’80s creative apex, and are still rocking out in 2026.

First Pancake Festival: Slumber Party at the End of the World @ Brick Aux
7:30 p.m.

The First Pancake Festival is a series of staged readings of new works from emerging playwrights at Brick Aux. It’s going on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday night’s performance is of Chacha Tahng’s Slumber Party at the End of the World, directed by Dante Green.