Alicia Keys to Perform at Knicks Championship Parade

New York City is about to witness history. On Thursday, June 18, the Knicks’ championship parade will roll through Lower Manhattan for the first time ever, and Alicia Keys will be there to close it out with the city’s unofficial anthem. 

The 17-time Grammy winner is set to perform “Empire State of Mind” at City Hall following the parade, tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed the performance during a Wednesday appearance on FOX 5’s Good Day New York. 

Keys herself announced the news through a FaceTime call with Knicks forward OG Anunoby, sharing the moment on Instagram. “How could I not? This is my city and the city’s on fire,” she said. “Everybody just united, feeling amazing. I’m excited.” 

The performance comes after fans were already singing the 2009 Jay-Z collaboration in the streets following the Knicks’ Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. 

The Knicks championship parade marks the franchise’s first title celebration since 1973. But here’s the twist: the team never actually received a ticker-tape parade for its 1970 or 1973 championships. 

Former Mayor John Lindsay scaled back the iconic Canyon of Heroes processions during his second term. Instead of a parade, the 1970 and 1973 Knicks were honored at City Hall and the mayoral mansion. 

That changes Thursday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has promised a celebration that could become “the largest parade in New York City history.” 

The Knicks championship parade begins at 10 a.m. near Bowling Green, traveling north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall. 

City officials expect upwards of one million attendees. Security screenings start at 6 a.m., and no bags, chairs, pets, umbrellas, or strollers are permitted along the route. 

The City Hall ceremony is a ticketed event. Mayor Mamdani held a public lottery to allow 600 fans to attend in person, where players will receive keys to the city. 

For Keys, the Knicks championship parade performance carries personal weight. Born and raised in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, she has long served as an unofficial ambassador for New York City. 

She was unable to watch the championship-clinching game in person, she was hosting the premiere of her “Girl From Hell’s Kitchen” documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, but she still found a way to celebrate. She showed up at an afterparty wearing a Knicks jacket and performed the anthem alongside NYC legend Nas. 

Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Patrick Ewing are expected to join the parade, with Mike Breen serving as emcee for the City Hall ceremony. Police are deploying 10,000 officers to secure the event. 

The Knicks championship parade will be broadcast locally on CBS 2, NBC 4, ABC 7, My9, MSG Network, and SNY, with streaming available via Fubo and the Gotham Sports app. 

As for whether Jay-Z will join Keys on stage for “Empire State of Mind”? Dolan didn’t seem optimistic. “I don’t think so,” he said simply. 

New York’s “Big 4” franchises haven’t won a championship since the Giants in 2012.  That drought is over. And on Thursday, the city that never sleeps will finally give its Knicks the parade they’ve waited 53 years to see.