NYPD won't allow any more Knicks playoff watch parties outside MSG because of fan behavior
Knicks fans celebrate during a watch party next to MSG on May 4, 2026. Credit: Ed Quinn
The NYPD said on Saturday that it no longer will support fan watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Knicks playoff games because of unruly behavior.
As a result, the Knicks — who took a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 121-108 victory over the Cavaliers on Saturday night — won’t be able to host a watch party outside MSG for Monday night’s Game 4 in Cleveland.
“We have seen progressively more problematic issues at the watch parties outside MSG. There were six arrests [Thursday] night alone,” a police spokesperson said in an email to Newsday. “The NYPD will not support more watch parties outside the stadium, but we will continue to review requests to support parties at alternate sites like Summer Stage.”
Summer Stage is an outdoor venue in Central Park.
The police spokesperson noted there that were “huge crowds,” with an estimated 6,000 people outside for Thursday night’s watch party for Game 2 of the series.
“The crowds are very rough, with people jumping police barriers and throwing things into the crowd, including glass bottles,” the spokesperson said. “The crowds blocked vehicle traffic on 34th and 33rd Streets and 7th Avenue. Additionally, people climbed on top of subway entrances and there was drinking in the street.
“This is not about having enough of the unruly fans — this is about keeping people safe.”
The Knicks declined to comment.
The Knicks had a sold-out watch party inside the Garden for Game 3. The in-arena watch parties are charitable events for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. The Knicks also hosted a sold-out free watch party for Game 3 at Brooklyn Bowl.
The free outdoor watch parties have been an affordable option for fans to enjoy the Knicks’ playoff run without being inside the Garden.
Some Long Island fans have commuted to the city for them, such as Hofstra student Omar Ardon, who was at Game 5 of the Knicks-Hawks first-round series.
“It’s just a vibe, being here with so many fans sharing the same experience,” Ardon told Newsday at the time. “It’s pretty expensive to get tickets nowadays.”
Newsday’s Joseph Ostapiuk and Denis P. Gorman contributed to this story.
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
