Samsung 837 is only a few months old, but already it’s booming with events related to art, food, fitness, yoga, and more. The Korean giant is now extending its space to music with free concerts every Thursday during the summer.
“837 is the truest expression of the Samsung brand,” Zach Overton, vice president and general manager of 837, told Digital Trends. “We like to think of it as a cultural playground, where people can explore the technology in new and unexpected ways.”
That was certainly evident on June 2, when hundreds of New Yorkers were outfitted with Samsung’s newest Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker. Dancers, musicians, and even cheerleaders from the New York Knicks pumped the audience up to reach a specific step goal to “unlock” concerts later in the day. Who performed? Just Gwen Stefani and Diplo.
You could say that was the kickoff for Samsung’s summer music festivities, but the company is partnering with Founders Entertainment to live-stream performances from the Governors Ball NYC Music Festival, which spans from June 3-5.
Samsung 837 will also have Governors Ball after-hours events with food and drinks as well — for example, on Friday night music producer and DJ Jaime xx will “keep the party going” after 11 p.m. These events are free, but you’ll need to RSVP ahead to make sure you save yourself a spot. Right now it looks like the events are at full capacity, but you can still join the wait list, or even head on down and wait in a line before the event begins.
Upcoming artists include Tegan and Sara, Phantogram, and St. Lucia.
- 2. Gwen Stefani performs at Samsung 837 on June 2 in celebration of the Gear Fit 2 and Icon X product launches.
While 837 is Samsung’s “cultural hub,” it’s also a space where people can check out all of the company’s products — you can’t purchase anything though (except from the cafe courtesy of Smorgasburg), and Overton says that’s the point.
“We like to think of it as the un-store,” he said. “We think it really changes the dynamic for a visitor when they come in and there’s no expectation of purchase. We find that people spend more time in the space — that they truly feel like they can explore and discover without any obligation. And it also makes them much more likely to engage with our staff, because there’s no fear that they’re going to be sold or that there’s an anticipation that they are purchasing.”
There’s some sort of programming almost every day at 837, which is named after the location’s address. The space has “always-on” sections, such as a selfie station, a virtual reality tunnel, and a new 360 selfie booth that lets you take a 360-degree selfie and share it to your social media networks.
You’ll almost always find a DJ, and whenever you stumble in you may come across a runners club measuring their fitness data, a cooking demonstration, NBA viewing parties, and a whole lot more.
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