Alicia Keys will close out the New York Knicks championship parade at City Hall on Thursday, performing her and Jay-Z’s New York anthem "Empire State of Mind" as the procession concludes. The parade begins near Battery Park around 10:00 a.m. and will travel up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes before ending at City Hall with speeches and musical performances.
City Hall Thursday Performance
10:00 a.m. is the scheduled departure near Battery Park, and the procession’s timing concentrates the celebration in lower Manhattan for a morning crowd; "The Knicks are bringing in the big guns!" a source said about Alicia Keys closing the route at City Hall.
Battery Park 10:00 a.m. Start
Saturday in San Antonio, Alicia Keys missed the final game because she was at the Tribeca Festival for the premiere of her documentary "Girl From Hell’s Kitchen," a scheduling choice that placed her at the festival rather than courtside; after the title win she wrote, "I gotta change my whole show now."
Capitale hosted Alicia Keys' premiere after-party, where she wore a Knicks jacket and sang "Empire State of Mind" for the crowd; the party included Natasha Lyonne, Angela Simmons, Lena Waithe, Jane Rosenthal and Nas, and she posted footage with captions including "It’s a New York moment!!!!!!🗽✨" and "The @nyknicks are officially world champions 🏀." Walt Frazier Joins Parade Talk appears among the early coverage of parade performers.
Empire State of Mind Set
2026 NBA Finals delivered the championship that set this parade in motion — the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs — and City Hall will host speeches, musical performances and the ceremonial presentation of the keys to the city at the parade’s endpoint; Clyde Frazier Welcomes Alicia Keys offers further event framing for attendees.
Given the constrained procession timing, the formal keys-to-the-city presentation and multiple scheduled speeches at City Hall, Alicia Keys is most likely to anchor the finale with a single, high-profile performance of "Empire State of Mind" rather than a full multi-song set.
