10 Highlights From Love Rocks NYC 2026 Benefit: Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Warren Haynes & More

Love Rocks NYC celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday night at The Beacon Theatre in New York City, where organizers outdid themselves with a star-studded lineup featuring Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, Warren Haynes, Billy F Gibbons, Hozier, Goo Goo Dolls, Jon Batiste, Linda Perry, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Susanna Hoffs and Trombone Shorty, plus surprise guests.

The annual benefit concert has raised more than $65 million to date for God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that cooks and delivers medically tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves. Organized by executive producers John Varvatos, Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter, the show plays a crucial role in keeping some of New York City’s most vulnerable residents fed.

Each featured performer was backed by one of the world’s best house bands. Musical director and bassist Will Lee once again led an ensemble of guitarist Eric Krasno, multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, keyboardists Jeff Babko and Michael Bearden, percussionist Pedrito Martínez and drummers Shawn Pelton and Steve Gadd, while the God’s Love Horns and We Deliver Singers added extra punch throughout the night.

Memorable moments came steadily across the nearly four-hour marathon, with 10 of the finest highlighted below.

Parading On Stage To Start The Show NOLA‑Style

The 10th annual Love Rocks NYC concert began with Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jon Batiste, Bill Murray and the We Deliver Horns parading through the Beacon Theatre orchestra section and onto the stage while performing “Iko Iko.” Ivan Neville and Trombone Shorty soon joined the krewe for a scorching take on The Meters’ “Hey Pocky Way,” immediately setting a joyful New Orleans tone for the evening.

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Goo Goo Dolls & Linda Perry Lead Singalongs

The Beacon Theatre crowd was sent into full‑throated singalong mode multiple times during the show, starting with singer-songwriter Linda Perry’s rousing “What’s Up?” Perry brought the volume down during the 4 Non Blondes 1993 hit to share how the way people were being treated in early‑’90s San Francisco inspired the song and how recent events have stirred similar feelings, adding extra weight to the performance.

The audience belted the chorus to “What’s Up?” at high volume while the God’s Love Singers carried the counter‑melody, creating a goosebump-inducing moment. One Love Rocks NYC trend that has developed over the years is featured artists pairing their biggest hit with a cover, and Perry followed suit by delivering a powerful rendition of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” before “What’s Up,” while Goo Goo Dolls led the house band through Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” before fronting their own “Iris.”

Co-founders Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac represented Goo Goo Dolls at the concert, with Rzeznik ceding key lines from 1998’s “Iris” to the crowd, who came through with flying colors. The band’s two‑song appearance also marked what was likely the first time in Love Rocks NYC history that the house band performed without its leader, bassist Will Lee, adding a subtle twist to the evening’s musical dynamics.

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All Is Right When Warren Haynes Plays The Beacon In March

Warren Haynes has taken The Beacon Theatre stage more than any other artist in history, thanks largely to The Allman Brothers Band’s long‑running March Madness residencies and Gov’t Mule’s many New Year’s Eve shows at the venue, and he’s been a Love Rocks NYC regular since the inaugural 2017 benefit. The legendary guitarist returned midway through the show for a three‑song stretch that felt like a homecoming.

Haynes first emerged to duet with Susanna Hoffs on the Rod Stewart classic “Maggie May,” with Larry Campbell handling the mandolin parts as he did during Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” later in the night. He then saluted The Allman Brothers Band’s 250‑plus Beacon performances by tearing into their live staple “Statesboro Blues” alongside surprise guest Joe Bonamassa, giving the room a dose of fiery guitar heroics.

Bonamassa wasn’t the only surprise as the legendary Mavis Staples came out for a moving rendition of “The Weight” that also featured Haynes, Hozier and Elvis Costello. It’s rare to hear The Band favorite appear mid‑set rather than as a finale, but this exception paid off: Haynes, Staples, Costello and Hozier each took a verse before sharing vocals on the last, turning the classic into a communal peak.

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11‑Year‑Old Bay Melnick Virgolino Holds His Own With Guitar Gods

Love Rocks NYC typically sprinkles in rising stars, but this year’s 13 billed artists, along with surprise guests Mavis Staples and Joe Bonamassa, were all bona fide headliners. That made the unannounced arrival of 11‑year‑old guitar prodigy Bay Melnick Virgolino even more striking, as he joined Billy F Gibbons and Joe Bonamassa for a multi‑generational version of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.”

The young NYC native and former America’s Got Talent contestant left jaws on the floor with blistering, high‑speed fretwork, trading lines confidently with two seasoned guitar titans. By the time the last note rang out, it felt safe to say the crowd wouldn’t soon forget his name.

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Jon Batiste Brings The Room To Tears

There was hardly a dry eye in the house when Love Rocks NYC family member Jon Batiste delivered a stunning version of Sam Cooke’s 1964 protest anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Seated alone at the grand piano, Batiste poured raw emotion into every lyric, turning the theater into a reverent listening room.

He then shifted gears, leading a raucous performance of his own “TELL THE TRUTH” with help from his childhood friend Trombone Shorty. The pairing showcased Batiste’s range, moving seamlessly from hushed intensity to joyous celebration.

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Hozier Takes The Beacon To Church

Irish singer Hozier, who made his Love Rocks NYC debut at the third benefit in 2018, returned for his fourth appearance this year. He first joined Mavis Staples, Warren Haynes and Elvis Costello during “The Weight” before returning later in the marathon for his own two‑song spotlight.

Hozier treated fans to a spellbinding “Take Me To Church,” backed by his musical director Ryan Conners and the house band, wringing chills from each soaring high note. He then welcomed one of his heroes, Nile Rodgers, to the stage for guitar duties on a crowd‑pleasing “Feelin’ Alright,” blending rock‑soul uplift with Rodgers’ signature groove.

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Paul Simon Returns To His Home Court

New York City’s own Paul Simon didn’t have far to travel to headline Love Rocks NYC 2026, as he lives only a few blocks away near Central Park. The music icon led a compact ensemble featuring keyboardist Mick Rossi alongside Will Lee, Larry Campbell and Steve Gadd on three of his most beloved songs, with Simon’s remarkably crisp vocals spotlighted by expert audio mixing and carefully placed stage monitors to accommodate his ongoing hearing issues.

Drummer Steve Gadd, the longest‑tenured member of Simon’s touring band, kicked off the set by laying down his iconic “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” groove, prompting Simon to note it was the first song the pair recorded together. The 84‑year‑old then stayed in 1975 territory with a bravura performance of the Still Crazy After All These Years title track before closing his set on “home court” with the 1969 Simon & Garfunkel smash “The Boxer,” which featured Larry Campbell on pedal steel and a striking trumpet contribution from Simon and Love Rocks house band member Jim Hynes.

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Mary J. Blige Gets Love Rocks NYC Crunk Up

You know you’re at a mind‑blowing concert when Paul Simon opens for Mary J. Blige. Making her Love Rocks NYC debut, the “Queen Of Hip‑Hop Soul” fully embraced the “cover plus signature hit” format, starting with her powerhouse version of U2’s “One” from 2006’s The Breakthrough, which showed off her otherworldly range.

Blige then lit into “Family Affair,” instantly transforming the Beacon into a full‑on dance party with few audience members left in their seats by the end of the 2001 smash. Keeping the “family” motif going, Nile Rodgers & CHIC followed with “We Are Family,” extending the celebratory energy deep into the night.

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The Hosts Leave The Crowd In Hysterics

Love Rocks NYC consistently taps comedians and actors to keep the audience entertained during changeovers and to remind them of the God’s Love We Deliver mission, and this year’s hosts took that charge to another level. Bill Murray, JB Smoove, Jeff Ross, Julianne Moore, Paul Shaffer, Whoopi Goldberg and Zarna Garg all made memorable contributions, keeping the room buzzing even when the music paused.

Fellow SNL alums Murray and Shaffer teaming up on “Werewolves Of London” provided one of the night’s most delightfully off‑kilter detours, but it was Zarna Garg who arguably stole the comedy spotlight. The New York City‑based comedian, producer and screenwriter of Indian descent drew huge laughs with sharp, personal material about her life as an immigrant, stacking one killer line on top of another.

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Love Rocks NYC Ends With A Little Help From Friends

Nearly the entire cast returned to the stage for a rousing finale of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” The Beatles classic — delivered in full, Joe Cocker–style catharsis — proved a fitting closer for a night defined by camaraderie, community and the power of artists rallying together in support of God’s Love We Deliver.

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Setlist

Set: Iko Iko (Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Jon Batiste), Hey Pocky Way (Ivan Neville, Trombone Shorty, Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Jon Batiste), Pump It Up (Elvis Costello), (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding (Elvis Costello), Black Hole Sun (Linda Perry), What’s Up? (Linda Perry), Manic Monday (Susanna Hoffs), Maggie May (Susanna Hoffs & Warren Haynes), Statesboro Blues (Warren Haynes & Joe Bonamassa), The Weight (Hozier, Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello & Warren Haynes), Werewolves Of London (Bill Murray), Sharp Dressed Man (Billy F Gibbons & John McEnroe), The Thrill Is Gone (Billy F Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa & Bay Melnick Virgolino), You Wreck Me (Goo Goo Dolls), Iris (Goo Goo Dolls), A Change Is Gonna Come (Jon Batiste & Steve Jordan), Tell The Truth (Jon Batiste & Steve Jordan), Take Me To Church (Hozier), Feelin’ Alright (Hozier & Nile Rodgers), 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon), Still Crazy After All These Years (Paul Simon), The Boxer (Paul Simon), One (Mary J. Blige), Family Affair (Mary J. Blige), We Are Family (Nile Rodgers & Chic), Good Times (Nile Rodgers & Chic), With A Little Help From My Friends (Everyone)