From closing exhibitions at MoMA to orchid dreamscapes in the Bronx, the city is serving up a weekend of final chances and fresh starts.
Here's the thing about New York in February: just when you think winter has beaten you into submission, the city goes and delivers a weekend so packed with unmissable events that you'll forget you haven't seen the sun in two weeks. We're talking last-chance exhibitions, opening weekend spectacles, half-price Broadway, and a film festival designed to remind you that children's movies can absolutely make adults cry.
This weekend is particularly rich with the kind of events that reward the adventurous—and punish the procrastinators. The Ruth Asawa retrospective at MoMA? Closes Saturday. The John Wilson exhibition at The Met? Gone after Sunday. But there's newness too: The Orchid Show opens at the New York Botanical Garden, transforming the Bronx into a blooming concrete jungle, and NYC Restaurant Week is still running strong. Whether you're chasing last looks or first impressions, AllEvents has the full lineup to help you plan your perfect New York weekend.
How this list works: We've prioritized time-sensitive events (closing exhibitions, opening weekends) alongside the reliable pleasures that make New York worth the rent. From world-class orchestras to half-price Hamilton, this guide captures the full range of what the city does best.
What it is: The Museum of Modern Art's major retrospective of Ruth Asawa, featuring some 300 works from the sculptor best known for her mesmerizing looped-wire forms.
Why go: This is your absolute last chance to see this landmark exhibition—it closes Saturday, February 7. Asawa's suspended wire sculptures are the kind of work that photographs simply cannot capture; you need to walk around them, see how light passes through the forms, and understand why she's finally getting the recognition she deserved decades ago.
Who it's for: Art lovers, design enthusiasts, anyone who's been "meaning to go" for the past four months.
Need-to-know: Exhibition closes February 7. MoMA is open until 5:30 PM. Expect crowds—this is the last weekend, and people have been procrastinating. 11 West 53rd Street, Manhattan.
What it is: One of Europe's finest orchestras returns to Carnegie Hall for two nights, featuring violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov on Friday and Mahler's epic Third Symphony on Saturday.
Why go: The Budapest Festival Orchestra, led by the legendary Iván Fischer, consistently ranks among the world's best. Friday's program pairs Vengerov with works that let him showcase his extraordinary technique, while Saturday's Mahler Third is the kind of monumental symphonic experience that Carnegie Hall was built for.
Who it's for: Classical music devotees, anyone who's been meaning to experience Carnegie Hall, and yes, even Mahler skeptics—this is the orchestra to convert you.
Need-to-know: Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, Stern Auditorium. Carnegie Hall is at 57th Street and 7th Avenue.
What it is: The New York Botanical Garden's 23rd annual Orchid Show opens this weekend, transforming the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a floral dreamscape celebrating New York City itself.
Why go: This year's show is designed by Lewis Miller (aka Mr. Flower Fantastic), the genius behind those famous guerrilla flower installations in trash cans and phone booths around the city. He's reimagining NYC—subway cars, street scenes, iconic landmarks—entirely in orchids. Opening weekend means seeing it fresh, before the crowds and the Instagram queues really kick in.
Who it's for: Flower lovers, Instagram enthusiasts, winter escapists desperate for color.
Need-to-know: Opens Saturday, February 7. The Orchid Show runs through April 26. The NYBG is in the Bronx; take Metro-North to Botanical Garden station for the easiest access.
What it is: A comprehensive exhibition of the American artist John Wilson (1922–2015), featuring more than 100 works that capture six decades of his powerful figurative art.
Why go: Wilson's art documents the Black American experience with unflinching honesty and profound humanity—from Civil Rights-era protests to intimate portraits of everyday life. This exhibition has received rave reviews and closes Sunday, making this your final chance to experience work that's been called "essential viewing."
Who it's for: Art history enthusiasts, anyone interested in American social history, and those who appreciate powerful figurative work.
Need-to-know: Closes Sunday, February 8. The Met is open Sunday until 5 PM. The exhibition is included with general admission. Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street.
What it is: The Encores! concert staging of the 1964 musical based on Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, about a widower whose deceased first wife returns to haunt his second marriage.
Why go: Encores! consistently delivers Broadway-caliber performances of rarely revived musicals, and High Spirits is exactly the kind of witty, sophisticated entertainment that Coward did best. The concert staging format means you get the full orchestration and star performances without the elaborate sets—pure musical theater pleasure.
Who it's for: Musical theater fans, Noël Coward devotees, and anyone who appreciates champagne comedy with supernatural complications.
Need-to-know: Running February 4-15 at City Center. Multiple performances this weekend including Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM. 131 West 55th Street.
What it is: The city's biggest theater deal, offering 2-for-1 tickets to 27 Broadway shows including Hamilton, The Great Gatsby, Buena Vista Social Club, & Juliet, and more.
Why go: This is the final weekend of Broadway Week 2026, which means last chance to score half-price tickets to shows you've been telling yourself you'll see "eventually." Whether you want to finally experience The Lion King or catch the Cuban heat of Buena Vista Social Club, you're essentially getting a free ticket.
Who it's for: Anyone who's complained about Broadway ticket prices, out-of-town guests, and locals who've never actually made it to the theater district.
Need-to-know: Broadway Week ends February 12, but this is the last full weekend. Use code NYCBW250 on participating shows. Check AllEvents for available performances—popular shows sell out fast.
Broadway picks this weekend:
SIX at Lena Horne Theatre - Friday at 7 PM
Moulin Rouge! at Al Hirschfeld Theatre - Sunday matinee at 2 PM
What it is: A rare loan from Rome's Galleria Borghese brings one of Caravaggio's most famous early works to New York for the first time in decades.
Why go: You'd normally need a plane ticket and museum queues in Rome to see this masterpiece. The Morgan has created an intimate exhibition placing the provocative portrait in conversation with other Italian works and the history of its collecting. Seeing a Caravaggio up close—the realism, the light, the overripe fruit—is genuinely transformative.
Who it's for: Art lovers, anyone who's been to the Borghese and wants to revisit, and those who appreciate seeing bucket-list works without the transatlantic flight.
Need-to-know: On view through April 19. The Morgan is at 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street. Admission is $25.
What it is: Brooklyn's beloved annual film festival for children and families returns for its 28th edition with a weekend of curated programming for ages 3 and up.
Why go: BAM curates films with genuine care—these aren't just cartoons to keep kids quiet, but genuinely delightful animated shorts and features from around the world. Programs are organized by age group, from "Tiny Worlds, Grand Adventures" (ages 3-5) to films for tweens and teens.
Who it's for: Families looking for a Saturday or Sunday activity that doesn't involve tablets, kids who deserve better than algorithmic recommendations.
Need-to-know: February 7-8 at BAM Rose Cinemas. Multiple screenings throughout both days. Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
What it is: Nearly 600 restaurants across all five boroughs offering two-course lunches and three-course dinners at fixed prices.
Why go: This is the final full weekend of Restaurant Week 2026. Prix-fixe menus mean you can try that restaurant you've been eyeing—whether it's a classic New York steakhouse, the new place everyone's talking about, or a neighborhood spot you walk past every day but never enter.
Who it's for: Food lovers, adventurous eaters, and anyone who's been saying "we should try somewhere new."
Need-to-know: Runs through February 12. Reservations recommended for popular spots—and book soon, because tables for this final weekend are disappearing.
What it is: Saturday afternoon NBA basketball at Barclays Center as the Nets host the Wizards.
Why go: A 3 PM Saturday tipoff is genuinely perfect timing—afternoon game, back home for dinner, and you've experienced live NBA basketball. Nets games at Barclays offer solid sightlines, and the arena energy for a Saturday matinee is legitimately fun.
Who it's for: Basketball fans, families looking for a Saturday activity, sports tourists who haven't made it to Barclays yet.
Need-to-know: Saturday, February 7 at 3 PM. Barclays Center is easily accessible via subway at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center.
What it is: The Guatemalan superstar brings his "Lo Que El Seco No Dijo" tour to Long Island for a stadium show.
Why go: Arjona is one of Latin America's most successful singer-songwriters, and his live shows are legendary. UBS Arena offers excellent sound and sightlines, and this tour celebrates material from his recent chart-topping album.
Who it's for: Latin music fans, anyone who grew up with Arjona's ballads, and those looking to experience a massive arena show with genuine emotional depth.
Need-to-know: Saturday, February 7 at 8 PM at UBS Arena in Elmont. The venue is accessible via LIRR to Elmont-UBS Arena station.
What it is: The legendary trombonist and seashell virtuoso leads his quartet at Jazz at Lincoln Center's intimate club space.
Why go: Turre is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz—literally, since he plays melodies on conch shells alongside his trombone. Dizzy's Club offers arguably the best jazz room in America, with its famous floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park.
Who it's for: Jazz aficionados, anyone curious about live jazz in an intimate setting, visitors who want the quintessential New York jazz club experience.
Need-to-know: Friday-Saturday, February 6-7 at 7 PM and 9 PM. Dizzy's Club is at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.
What it is: The immersive art space beneath Chelsea Market showcases two digital exhibitions exploring hyperreal underwater environments and blooming floral imagery.
Why go: SUBMERGE is billed as the largest showcase of rendered immersive art ever presented—twelve surreal, hyperreal digital environments that reward the Instagram set while genuinely delivering visual wonder. Combined with Blooming Wonders, it's a sensory escape from February's gray.
Who it's for: Immersive art enthusiasts, anyone who enjoys digital experiences, families looking for something different.
Need-to-know: Open daily. ARTECHOUSE is at 439 West 15th Street, beneath Chelsea Market. Advance tickets recommended.
What it is: A historic exhibition presenting the final dye-transfer prints ever produced from the legendary color photographer's archive.
Why go: Eggleston essentially invented color photography as a fine art medium, and his saturated, strange images of Southern Americana defined an entire aesthetic. These are the literal last prints that will ever be made using this now-discontinued process—a genuine end of an era.
Who it's for: Photography enthusiasts, design lovers, anyone who appreciates the intersection of art and craft.
Need-to-know: David Zwirner's 19th Street gallery. Free admission. Check gallery hours in advance.
What it is: The Grammy-winning album comes to life as a new Broadway musical, telling the true story of the legendary Cuban musicians.
Why go: The music is irresistible—infectious Cuban son, bolero, and guajira that makes sitting still nearly impossible. The production captures Havana in the 1990s with warmth and authenticity, and the live band on stage delivers the kind of musical heat that February desperately needs.
Who it's for: Music lovers, Broadway enthusiasts, anyone who's worn out their copy of the original album.
Need-to-know: At the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th Street. Still part of Broadway Week 2-for-1 deals through February 12.
Jimmy O. Yang at Radio City Music Hall – The comedian's "Big & Tall Tour" lands at Radio City Saturday at 7 PM. If you loved him in Silicon Valley and Interior Chinatown, this is a rare chance to see him in a major venue.
Songbook Sundays at Jazz at Lincoln Center – Sunday, February 8 features a tribute to the legendary Dorothy Fields at Dizzy's Club.
Comedy Cellar – The Village's most famous comedy club never disappoints for weekend drop-in shows. Reservations recommended, surprise guests possible.
MoMA Film – Check the schedule for weekend screenings at one of the world's best film programs.
Nadja at BAM – Michael Almereyda's shimmering vampire film screens Feb 6-12 in 35mm and Pixelvision—cult cinema at its most beautiful and weird.
Best way to get around this weekend? Subway as always. For UBS Arena, take the LIRR from Penn Station directly to Elmont-UBS Arena. For NYBG, Metro-North from Grand Central to Botanical Garden station.
What if the weather is terrible? You're in New York—the museums (MoMA, Met, Morgan), Broadway, and indoor venues don't care about weather. That said, the Orchid Show at NYBG is inside the conservatory, so you're covered there too.
Can I do the closing exhibitions in one day? Ambitious but possible. Ruth Asawa at MoMA closes Saturday; John Wilson at The Met closes Sunday. Hit MoMA first, then the Met, and you've covered two unmissable shows.
What's the best Broadway deal? Broadway Week's 2-for-1 ends February 12, so grab tickets now. Buena Vista Social Club is the critical darling, but The Great Gatsby and & Juliet are crowd-pleasers with excellent availability.
The bottom line: New York doesn't do quiet weekends, and this one especially rewards those who pay attention to closing dates. From the final chance to see Ruth Asawa's transcendent wire sculptures to the opening burst of the Orchid Show, this weekend is all about timing—and getting out the door before you miss something irreplaceable. Find your thing on AllEvents, layer up appropriately, and remember: February in New York is only unbearable if you let it be. 🗽
