The Public Theater has unveiled their 2026 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, which they're titling "Shakespeare for the City." The institution's newly renovated Delacorte Theater, located in Central Park, will host new productions of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and The Winter's Tale, run dates and casting to be announced.

The Public Works series, which has New York community members and professional actors sharing the stage, will also return to the Delacorte in 2026. The title and artists involved will be announced at the later date. 

Public Associate Artistic Director Saheem Ali (Fat Ham, Buena Vista Social Club) will be at the helm for Romeo and Juliet, returning to the summer series after leading this past summer's staging of Twelfth Night (streaming now on PBS). Winter's Tale will be directed by Tony winner Daniel Sullivan, who has directed The Merry Wives of Windsor and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Shakespeare in the Park.

“‘Shakespeare for the City’ represents our bold legacy and vision of cultural and civic life for the people of this city," says Public Executive Director Patrick Willingham in a statement. "Last summer, with the revitalized Delacorte Theater at the movement’s epicenter, more than 80,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs found their place together, affirming that The Public’s Free Shakespeare in the Park, Public Works, Mobile Unit, and Public Forum are not just programs—they are a declaration of interdependence, a reassertion that culture belongs to everyone."

The Public's Mobile Unit is making its return with the Bard's As You Like It, which will perform at various venues across all five NYC boroughs, directed by Emma Rosa Went. Public Forum will also make a comeback, bringing conversations and debates with artists and thinkers to the Delacorte for a series of town hall events.

“We see a city hungry for civic connection. A city facing challenges so vast they can only be met through collective effort. Our goal is to create artistic spaces that build momentum toward a greater sense of interdependence among New Yorkers, beginning with our Mobile Unit tour of As You Like It," says Civic Artistic Programs Director Pablo Hernandez Basulto in a statement. "This tour will carry the Forest of Arden to all five boroughs, from our most isolated neighbors inside correctional facilities to our most cherished neighborhood parks. And, at a moment when New York’s very identity is a matter of national conversation, Public Works will bring together New Yorkers across the city to create our first-ever original production at The Delacorte."

All of the Public's Free Shakespeare in the Park programming is offered free of charge. Ticket distribution information is forthcoming.

Visit PublicTheater.org.