An illustration of a red-haired person standing among a field of yellow flowers at night, with stars swirling overhead

Starry Nights

Select dates in May, June, July, August, and September

7:30 to 10 p.m. | At the Garden

Experience Van Gogh’s Flowers After Dark!

Van Gogh’s Flowers comes aglow for Starry Nights, evening outings that capture the twinkling allure of the artist’s nighttime scenery. Within and around NYBG’s iconic Conservatory, find yourself surrounded by the botanical beauty that inspired Van Gogh. Wander through a breathtaking lawn of real sunflowers, and snap photos in front of blooming recreations of the artist’s works.

Conditions permitting, the nighttime experience concludes with a celebration of Van Gogh’s iconic The Starry Night featuring a 10-minute illuminated drone show finale sparkling above—the first of its kind at a cultural institution in New York City. Relax to live music and performers evoking the Parisian bistros van Gogh frequented while you sip a cocktail or mocktail and enjoy light bites for purchase. Van Gogh’s painted world comes to life as the sun sets on these special evenings at NYBG—don’t miss it.

Questions? Learn more about the Starry Nights experience.

Tickets

Members – $39
Non-Members – $49
Free entry for children under the age of 2

Starry Nights are ticketed through our presenting partner, Fever.

Get Tickets

About Van Gogh's Flowers

NYBG becomes the canvas for the colorful brush strokes of one of the world’s most revered artists during Van Gogh’s Flowers, where you’ll revel in the beauty of the flowers that inspired his iconic paintings. Find yourself immersed in botanical displays and large-scale art as you wander through a breathtaking lawn of monumental sunflowers, and see the expressive masterpieces bloom in recreations made of living flowers.

Learn More

Experience the Starry Nights Drone Show

Mertz Building Lawns

Hundreds of dancing drones illuminate the sky with light and color, celebrating the iconic Starry Night scenery and Van Gogh’s fascination with nature and the stars, conditions permitting.

People playing stand-up bass and electric guitar

Enjoy Live Music

Until 9 p.m.
Conservatory Plaza

A local quartet of acoustic instrumentalists welcomes you to Starry Nights with French tunes that evoke the Parisian bistros and Provençal village cafés Van Gogh frequented.

Diego Campo String Quartet

The Diego Campo String Quartet performs weekly Hot and Jazz Manouche styles of jazz in New York’s social spaces. With set lists of French Jazz, swing, and cinematic sound colorations, this band brings high-energy and strong rhythmic drive to dance-loving audiences. Led by guitarist Diego Campo, the quartet features a favorite repertoire including tunes from Django Reinhardt, Duke Ellington, and Fats Waller. Learn more here.

A person performs a dance in front of a bright purple light

Starry Nights: Alive

Conservatory Lawn & Tulip Tree Allée

The twinkling stars and swirling clouds of Starry Night come to life through the movements and glowing garments of visiting performers.

Moon on a Starry Night
Roaming Puppet until 9:30 p.m.
Garden Way
Drifting through the Garden, the Moon on a Starry Night puppet brings to life Van Gogh’s swirling night scenes. With painted gowns and an ornate crown, the puppet invites you to snap a photo and share in the up-close wonder of Mascara Viva’s artistry. Founded by Lucrecia Novoa, Mascara Viva creates large-scale character puppets using masks, costumes, storytelling, and dance to interpret art, traditions, and stories across cultures. Learn more here.
Living Portrait
Until 9 p.m.
Conservatory Lawn
Amongst a field of sunflowers, step into the frame of a Van Gogh-inspired living portrait.
Van Gogh In Motion
Fountain of Life at the Mertz Lawns
Van Gogh’s paintings are famous for their dynamic movement; his signature bold and sweeping brush strokes often give the impression that the scenes are alive. Inspired by the motion in Van Gogh’s paintings, a series of local dance companies present performances featuring movement and costumes inspired by seminal works.

- Pigeonwing Dance
  June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, & 28
  Pigeonwing Dance (PWD), founded in 2016 by Guggenheim Fellow Gabrielle Lamb, has been praised by The New Yorker as “eccentric…playful…curious.” Winning residencies at New York City Center, 92Y, and Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, they have also brought dance to new and unsuspecting audiences at the MIT Museum (The Choreography of CRISPR) and Selected Shorts at Symphony Space, where they were the first dance company commissioned by the beloved storytelling series. In 2020, PWD launched The Carpet Series—popup dances on an 8×10 Persian carpet in public spaces. Now in its sixth edition with over 200 performances across NYC’s five boroughs, the carpet has been unrolled at locations like the New York Botanical Garden, Governors Island, and the Museum of Arts & Design. DANCE Magazine observed, “the geometric patterns of the Persian rug echo and amplify Lamb’s idiosyncratic movement vocabulary, which is both intensely intricate and unusually syncopated.” PWD’s upcoming engagements include Harvard University and Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts.

Savor Handcrafted Cocktails & Light Bites

Celebrate with a signature cocktail or mocktail and delicious bites for purchase from one of our pop-up bars.

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