Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Bon Jovi Rocks Out in Central Park
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 13, 2008
Modified Jul 29, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 13, 2008
Modified Jul 29, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The eagerly anticipated free Bon Jovi concert attracted an estimated 48,500 people to Central Park yesterday. And were the audience members pumped: People were waiting since Friday for prime seats on the Great Lawn while others settled for arriving many hours before the concert, after having cased the stage set-up ahead of time. The NY Times spoke to one woman who had Jon Bon Jovi's signature tattooed on her back (immortalizing the time he signed her back in 2005) and her friend who gave her daughter the middle name "Jovie."
The band was prompt, starting at 8:02 p.m. and started off with "Livin' on a Prayer." They played their hits until 10 p.m. with the crowd singing along to "You Give Love a Bad Name" and many others. Jon Bon Jovi crowed about performing in Central Park, "Not too many people have ever done it. What a way to end up. We started 10 nights ago in New Jersey. We end up with the biggest show in New York on the Great Lawn." (The group is also playing two shows at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday.)
A total of 67,500 free tickets (the first 60,000 were quickly snatched up; an extra 7500 were handed out in the past few days) were distributed for the concert, which was meant to help energize residents for Tuesday's Major League Baseball All-Star Game. While some tickets were being scalped, some scalpers had a change of heart and were giving them away for free.
Tagged
bon jovi
central park
free concert
great lawn
jon bon jovi
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .