If the question is how we connect across cultures, the answer has always been New York City. While geopolitical tensions soared across the globe, New Yorkers were micro-dosing world peace.
The first two weeks of June put the city on a surreal high. After a brutal winter, New York erupted in a blaze of glory. The Knicks brought home their first NBA Championship win in 53 years and reminded us that the only way you lose is by giving up. Many of us couldn’t care less about sports – we however, love a redemption story.
“I watched the Knicks win The NBA Championship from the Green room at Xanadu. All Skating stopped and the roller rink erupted in cheers.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first to feature ten African nations — brought a second wave of pride to the streets. The city was completely transformed, one watch party, one vinyl set, one plate of jollof at a time. Diaspora collectives like Project 96, founded by Peter Jay, put Ivory Park on the map for the culture. Brooklyn based soccer hub, Football Cafe pulled out all the stops in collaboration with femme curators like Paulina at Migo Events creative agency.
Fifa World Cup Watch Party at Ivory on Park on June 13, 2026. Kent J Edwards / Caught By KentIn that same spirit, women continued to shape the culture beyond the game.
On June 16th, NOH Studios and Mami Chula Social Club brought Stay Lovely — a hi-fi vinyl listening experience to Love’s Club in Bushwick. The collaboration re-contextualized the history between Senegal and France through music. While the world held its breath awaiting the Senegal v. France match – KLRA (Paris) and Sailor Goon (NYC) filled the 7,000 square foot atrium with Dakar club, French new wave, and Afro-tech. Teranga served guests West African fresh batched juices and coconut desserts.
Sultan Room became the home of the only World Music Open Jam in New York city. Curated for the city’s truly global audience – attendees included legendary music A&R’s Rich Nice and Soul In The Horn Founder, D Prosper. Fresh off tours – International performers like Cinque Ignabu, Synead, and Brazil’s own Zuzuka Poderosa lit up the stage on the 162nd anniversary of Juneteenth. New York is where the world meets. Cultures don’t collide here, they blend.
This is what it looks like when Others gather. May we rise and remember: life is for living.
