2024 Full Schedule

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Time
Instructor
Description
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7:30am – 8:30am

Richa Dhekne presented by Consulate General of India, NY

Join Richa on an inspiring journey through the sacred limbs of yoga, where asana, pranayama, and meditation beautifully intertwine.

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9:30am – 10:30am

Cealia Brannan, presented
by Gaiam

As we welcome the summer solstice, balance the heat of a cadenced vinyasa flow with fluid sequences that bring coolness, like water, through balancing and circular sequence transitions.

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11:30am – 12:30pm

Tracye Warfield

Vinyasa Flow - "Let's Flow." The practice of Vinyasa yoga allows transitions between standing, seated, supine and prone postures, guided by mindful breath. The practice is a moving meditation that creates strength, grounding, balance, expansion, and your own, unique flow in your body and mind. Perfect for all levels.

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1:30pm – 2:30pm

Lara Heimann

Celebrate the summer solstice in a way that makes you feel fully “LYT” up! This class will be nourishing and challenging to activate the senses and spirit, so you are reminded of your resilience. This is a yoga practice for longevity, weaving creative mobility drills and functional movement into yoga poses that you know and love.

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3:30pm – 4:30pm

Susan Hu

Join Susan for a feel-good, rhythmic vinyasa flow to move with mindful breath and tap into the joy of the heart. The class will end with the most nourishing yoga nidra for deep rejuvenation and spiritual inspiration.

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5:30pm – 6:30pm

Sri Dharma Mittra

This sequence of yoga poses for all level practitioners will move the spine in all directions and leave you feeling recharged and energized.

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7:30pm – 8:30pm

Douglass Stewart

Douglass' yoga class will be a slow flow, breath-oriented class designed to develop from the modified version of certain poses to their fuller expressions.

Solstice in Times Square Sponsors

Two women in yellow and yellow leotards doing a handstand on a street.

Why Mind Over 
Madness Yoga?

Could there be a more appropriate place to celebrate the solstice than in Times Square? Since 1904, the winter solstice (that's "New Year's Eve" to you) celebrations have evolved from a fireworks display on the roof of the Times Tower to the introduction of a New Year's Eve ball lowering to the "eyes of the world" extravaganza that it is today when a worldwide audience, more than a billion strong, watches as 2,000 pounds of confetti are scattered over more than half-a-million revelers packed into Times Square on December 31st.

The Times Square Alliance has introduced a counterpoint to New Year's Eve with "Mind Over Madness Yoga," celebrating the summer solstice (the longest day of the year). Throughout history, many cultures have associated the summer solstice with a renewal of mind, body and spirit and a celebration of creative expression - of art, music and the sense of joyfulness and fun that the sunshine evokes in all of us. And what better place to celebrate than in Times Square — for the past hundred years, America's center for creativity, energy, bright lights and over-the-top artistic expression.

We like to think of ourselves as innovators here in Times Square, but we can't take credit for the creation of the summer solstice - it's been celebrated in many forms since the dawn of recorded human history. Below you'll find a brief overview of the cultural, historical and scientific significance of the summer solstice across the world's diverse cultures.

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The Solstice
 & The Calendar

The summer solstice usually occurs on June 20/June 21/June 22 in the northern hemisphere and on December 21/December 22 in the southern hemisphere.

In Chinese astronomy, the phenomenon known as Xiazhi roughly corresponds to the summer solstice — it begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 90° and ends when its celestial longitude is 105°. Xiazhi usually begins around June 21, and ends around July 7, though the term sometimes refers in particular to the day when Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 90°.

In the USA, Canada, and some other countries, the summer solstice is regarded as the start of summer. In other countries, including Ireland, the UK, China, and Japan, the summer solstice is regarded as midsummer. For example, in Ireland, summer begins on May 1 and ends on July 31. Similarly, traditional East Asian calendars refer to the summer solstice as the "extreme of summer" and not the start.

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A woman in a white shirt is sitting on a stage with her arms raised.
Douglass Stewart, a tall Black man in yoga attire, and Tim Tompkins, a slightly shorter white man with a beard holding a microphone, both standing in Times Square

A Message from the 
Co-Founders

Welcome to Solstice in Times Square: Mind over Madness Yoga. The summer solstice marks that yearly moment when the sun is at its highest position in the sky for the longest period of time. There are traditions across all cultures – some centuries old — that have celebrated this seasonal pivot point.

Yoga unites us with the Universal flow and connects us with our own personal rhythms. The discipline of yoga enhances our ability to respond to subtle cues that promote wellness. Peace becomes the natural environment of our relationships and our world.

What was your highest point since the last summer solstice? Did you realize a yoga pose you’d been working on? Were you able to remain stable when all around you seemed unstable? Did you extend to someone in need in a way that enhanced you both? Did you put into action some of the personal lessons learned from your yoga practice?

This is the time to celebrate our ability to extend. As the sun climbs to its highest point and is suspended in the sky for the longest period, it provides us with a vital force that sustains all of life, giving us a focal point and uniting our purpose to achieve our highest ambitions.

Thank you for joining thousands of other yoga practitioners in Times Square and around the world to celebrate our ability to extend, like any plant or tree, to the Light. We are reminded of this through the practice of yoga, especially on the summer solstice.

Thank you,
Douglass Stewart
Cofounder, Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga


Life is thrilling, but it can be tough. Urban life can be even tougher. The flip side of the astonishing array of choices, activities and aspirations that we have in a place like New York is how hard it is to stay centered, focused and present. Nowhere is that more true than in Times Square, one of the most intense and frenetic places on the planet. In a place that fuels our desires and offers distractions galore, achieving santosa (the Sanskrit word for contentment) can be a challenge.

Back in 2003, we thought that there might be something to the idea of drawing on the energy of the sun to re-energize ourselves through stillness. As a producer of the other solstice celebration (aka New Year’s Eve), the Times Square Alliance thought this could be a calm, quiet and sunny counterpoint to that boisterous event. Now, thousands of people are making a different kind of pilgrimage to Times Square, and under the bright light of the longest day of the year, they are bringing just a little bit of stillness, and a little bit of santosa, to this intense and crazy city that we love.

Namaste,

Tim Tompkins
Former President, Times Square Alliance
Cofounder, Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga

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Solstice in Times Square Press Inquiries:

TJ Witham

Vice President of Communications

Sasha Lamb

Web & Digital Content Editor

Sponsor Solstice in Times Square

Every year on the Summer Solstice in June, Solstice in Times Square brings thousands of yogis to the district for free yoga classes from sunrise to sunset. Your brand can reach thousands of health, wellness, lifestyle, and fitness-oriented yoga enthusiasts through customized on-site activations in our Yoga Sponsor Village. Solstice in Times Square's 648+ million media impressions worldwide also provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to magnify your brand’s messaging in this iconic NYC landscape.

For more information, please contact:
Anna Starling

Vice President, Development &
Strategic Partnerships

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I register for the event?

Registration for Solstice in Times Square 2025 will open in spring 2025

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Where and when should I arrive?

Check-in information will be emailed to you prior to the event. If you successfully registered for a class, you should receive a confirmation email that specifies the check-in location the day before the event.

If you register on the day of the event, you can check in at either 46th St & Broadway (enter from the west and look for the blue signs) or 48th St & Broadway (enter from the north and look for the magenta signs).

You should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your class.

For contactless check-in, please have your ticket ready to scan on your smart device or printed out on the day of the event.

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Will there be a live stream of this event?

Yes, Solstice in Times Square 2025 will be streamed live at TSQ.org/Solstice via Youtube, on Twitter, and on Facebook Live.

Watch on TSQ.org
Watch on Twitter
Watch on Facebook Live

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Is my registration transferable? Can I bring a guest under my registration?

No, registration is not transferable and you cannot bring a guest under your registration. Each participant must register themselves in order to have their own ticket.

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Are children allowed to participate in this event?

Yes, but children under 18 must have a signed release on their behalf before they can enter the site. Releases will be available at check-in. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

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What is the class schedule?

The schedule for Solstice 2025 has not yet been announced. Keep an eye out and check back in Spring 2025.

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Can I take more than one class?

You can only register for one class. If you register for more than one class, you risk your entire registration being deleted.

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What does the class/event cost?

All classes are free! However, while you register, you have the option to make a donation to the Alliance's outreach services, which help vulnerable individuals living in Times Square. Through our trust building efforts, we work towards connecting individuals in crisis to the social services they need. No donation is too big or small!

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How do I get there?

Public transit options and more are listed on our Getting Around & Parking page. Your check-in location will be located within the center of Times Square's Bowtie, easily accessible by all subways that stop in the neighborhood and a variety of other transit options listed at the link above.

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Are there places to change on site? Are there lockers?

No, you should arrive dressed for class. There are no lockers or storage spaces available.

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Do I need to bring a yoga mat? Do I need to bring my own water?

Free yoga mats will be provided to registered attendees while mats last. We will be offering water at the event, but it's still a good idea to bring your own water bottle!

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Are there public restrooms?

There are no public bathrooms provided.

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Where and what is the Yoga Village?

The Yoga Village will be located on Broadway between 43rd and 45th Streets; enter at 45th and Broadway. Sponsors will have various tents set up with information, free samples, activations, and coupons.

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What happens if it rains?

This event will take place rain or shine!

Our hope is that each class will take place in its entirety, but the safety of instructors and participants is our top priority. In past years, we have occasionally delayed individual classes to let rain subside, but have not yet had to cancel a class. We will keep all attendees well informed if a class needs to be delayed or cancelled.

We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather and hope to see you on Broadway for yoga on the longest day of the year!

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Does the event offer accessibility accommodations? Will there be ASL interpretation?

Yes. Solstice in Times Square is an accessible event for people with disabilities. When registration opens, we will ask you to submit your accessibility accommodations by a certain date when you register for the event.

There was an ASL interpreter on site for all classes in 2024, provided by Inclusive Communication Services. The live stream also had sign interpretation all day and optional real-time captions.

For further information, please email info@tsq.org.

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Can I bring my pet?

Sorry, no furry friends, reptiles, or other non-human companions are allowed into the event.Exception is granted for service dogs.

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Is smoking permitted at the event?

No, this event is held on the Broadway Plazas, which are smoke free year-round.

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How can I ensure that my friend and I can sit together?

Please register at the same time and then arrive together at least 30 minutes ahead of time at your designated check-in point. Unfortunately, you will not be able to “save” a spot for a guest that is arriving later.

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Who makes this event possible?

Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga is produced by the Times Square Alliance, a non-profit organization that works to improve and promote Times Square so that it retains the creativity, energy and edge that have made it an international icon for over 100 years. As this is a free event, we rely on support from our fantastic partners. Our partners for Solstice 2024 were Celsius, Consulate General of India New York, Gaiam, Lifeway, Matua, and Smartwater.