Brooklyn Will Honor Aaliyah With a Free One in a Million Tribute

Brooklyn will celebrate Aaliyah’s music, style and influence with a free tribute at Prospect Park.

Brooklyn is preparing to celebrate one of its most influential musical daughters.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! will present Aaliyah: One in a Million on Saturday, August 8, at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park. The free community event will use live music, DJ sets, personal testimonials and fashion to honor Aaliyah on the 25th anniversary of her passing.

Doors open at 3 p.m., with the program beginning at 4 p.m. Attendance is first come, first served. An RSVP helps visitors receive event information but does not guarantee admission, according to the official BRIC event page.

The tribute will be guided musically by Brooklyn songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek, better known as L’Rain. A live band will support performances from Res, serpentwithfeet, Halima, Anajah, Motherboard and Tariq Al-Sabir.

DJs Honey Bun and albertoreyes will play selections from Aaliyah’s catalog, while music journalist Brittany Spanos will host the afternoon. Video-music pioneer Ralph McDaniels, designer April Walker, filmmaker LaChelle Chrysanne and Cheek are scheduled to share testimonials.

That combination reflects how Aaliyah’s legacy stretches beyond the recordings themselves. Her controlled vocal delivery, forward-looking production choices and understated visual presence helped shift the direction of R&B during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The event will also recognize her influence on fashion. Karl Kani, whose designs became part of Aaliyah’s signature look, will operate a pop-up boutique. Attendees can enter an onsite raffle for three motorcycle jackets associated with that era, while Brooklyn apparel company Skool Milk will also offer merchandise.

BRIC’s official announcement describes the program as a day of live music, film and personal remembrance built around the Brooklyn-born artist’s impact.

The timing carries two major anniversaries. August marks 25 years since Aaliyah’s death, while her second studio album, One in a Million, approaches its 30th anniversary later this month.

That album introduced a futuristic combination of restrained vocals, unconventional rhythms and spacious production that continues to echo through contemporary R&B. Instead of attempting to duplicate Aaliyah’s performances, BRIC’s program will allow artists from different creative backgrounds to interpret her influence through their own voices.

For Throwback Thursday, the celebration offers more than nostalgia. It demonstrates how an artist’s work can remain forward-looking even decades after its release.

Aaliyah’s career ended far too soon, but the musical language she helped establish never disappeared. On Saturday, Brooklyn will bring that legacy home.

Event Information

Event: BRIC Celebrates Aaliyah: One in a Million

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026

Doors: 3 p.m.

Show: 4 p.m.

Location: Lena Horne Bandshell at Prospect Park

Address: 141 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, New York

Admission: Free; first come, first served

RSVP: Recommended but does not guarantee admission