The embargo has been lifted and NYC’s City Parks Foundation has unveiled this year’s schedule. The festival kicks off on Friday, June 13^th with Mavis Staples and closes Sunday, August 17^th with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The twenty-three year old festival will also feature Vampire Weekend and Kid Sister who hit the stage on June 14th, Diplo and Santogold on July 20th, and Battles and Black Dice will perform on August 16^th. International acts Seun Kuti (who will appear with Egypt 80) and Vieux Farka Touré are also in the line-up as are legends Skatalites and Taj Mahal (Sunday, July 6), Sonny Rollins, and Crosby, Still, and Nash.

 

All performances will take place rain or shine and the free admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. A complete 2008 Central Park SummerStage season line-up is available at www.summerstage.org. As of yet, no Noel Gallagher-type denouncements have come from any of the artists on the schedule.