Editor’s Note: As venues slowly begin to reopen — and new performance spaces pop up over the summer — our new series Out & About highlights the free live music events and showcases that listeners can enjoy in safe, outdoor environments.
***
It looks like Starlight Square will keep shinning in Cambridge throughout September. The outdoor performance area and gathering place at 84 Bishop Allen Drive in Central Square will carry its hyper-local programming into the fall with more than 35 music, comedy, and performance art events, all completely free of charge.
September will see showcases from students at The Hip-Hop Transformation (tonight, September 3), DJs from Subcentral (September 5), and ImprovBoston (September 10), to name a few.
Starlight Square is now in its second “season,” following its creation last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a partnership between the Central Square Business Improvement District (BID), Flagg Street Studio, and Boyes-Watson Architects, Starlight Square has been one of the most consistent places to safely seek out live, socially-distanced entertainment.
“Season 1 prioritized the long-standing arts and cultural organizations in Central Square, Cambridge’s Cultural District, that lost use of their indoor spaces due to COVID-19, including community centers with generational ties to the community,” says Nina Berg, creative director at Central Square BID. “When designing Starlight, we centered their needs specifically. For summer learning and afterschool to transition outside, what kind of space did we need to design? Ditto for theaters, comedy clubs, houses of worship, and music venues. This year, we focused less on these institutions (many of whom have regained use of their indoor spaces), and focused on the individual artists and organizers who also need space.”
Check out the full calendar for September here.