Brooklyn’s iconic Mermaid Parade is set to make its splashy return for its 44th installment on June 20, 2026, with a pair of celebrated musicians taking center stage as this year’s parade royalty. Coney Island USA, the nonprofit organization behind the beloved summer tradition, has announced that Jesse Malin, the gritty New York City rock singer-songwriter, will be crowned King Neptune. Joining him as Queen Mermaid is Grammy-winning artist Rickie Lee Jones, whose soulful and genre-defying music has long enchanted audiences.
The Mermaid Parade, a vibrant celebration of creativity, community, and seaside whimsy, has been a hallmark of Brooklyn’s summer calendar since its inception in 1983. Known for its colorful costumes, elaborate floats, and eccentric revelers, the parade draws tens of thousands of participants and spectators to the iconic Coney Island boardwalk, blending local culture with the city’s enduring love for performance and spectacle.
Malin and Jones embody different but complementary facets of New York’s rich musical tapestry. Malin’s raw, streetwise rock roots reflect the city’s underground energy, while Jones’s poetic lyricism and jazz-inflected style evoke a timeless artistic sensibility. Their selection as parade royalty underscores Coney Island USA’s commitment to celebrating both the city’s past and its evolving cultural landscape.
The 2026 parade is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. along the familiar route at Coney Island, promising another day of flamboyant costumes, live music, and the quintessential Brooklyn eccentricity that has made the event a must-see. As the city continues to recover and reinvent itself post-pandemic, the Mermaid Parade stands out as a joyous reminder of New York’s resilience and its unabated appetite for communal celebration.
For locals and visitors alike, the Mermaid Parade remains a quintessential New York experience — a place where myth, art, and community spirit converge in a kaleidoscope of color and sound. The crowning of Jesse Malin and Rickie Lee Jones as King Neptune and Queen Mermaid adds a new chapter to this storied tradition, promising an unforgettable return to Coney Island’s sandy shores next summer.