Last Updated on June 16, 2026 by Erin Donahue

When Francis Mercier announced he was bringing his Solèy show back to Industry City, Saturday sold out fast. However, he opened up a second night, and after seeing viral clips of his Brooklyn show the previous summer, I copped a ticket for Sunday, June 14.

As a concert photographer in NYC, I usually reach out to the artist’s team requesting a photo pass and review ticket, but this time I bought a ticket because I saw a video on TikTok of a nurse who’s passionate about eradicating Black maternal mortality. Through her facilitation and the Empower Her Village initiative, customers who used a specific code had 20% of ticket proceeds donated to the fight against Black maternal mortality. It was an easy decision!

What Is Solèy?

Solèy means “sun” in Haitian Creole, and like our planet Earth, Francis Mercier built his brand around it. The Haitian DJ and producer has been shaping the house music landscape for years, blending deep, melodic, and worldly sounds into something that can transcend every culture. Coachella, EDC Las Vegas, Ibiza, Dubai, Marrakech — he’s no stranger to the large festival circuit. Solèy is the vessel for an experience rooted in multiculturalism, drawing from the Levant, Africa, and the Caribbean, while Industry City’s outdoor courtyard was the stage for it in New York City.

Industry City is NYC’s Underrated Outdoor Concert Destination

Originally known as Bush Terminal, Industry City is a 35-acre complex along the Sunset Park waterfront that started as a shipping and manufacturing hub. Today, it’s something else entirely. The campus fills its courtyards year-round with pop-up concerts, vintage shows, and seasonal markets, making it one of the more dynamic spaces in the city.

Recently, electronic music events in particular have found a home here, and it’s becoming a more popular venue with relatively reasonable ticket prices.

What the Francis Mercier Solèy Experience Looks Like

In addition to being a DJ, Francis is an entertainer. On stage with him were afro and hip hop dancers, an electric guitarist, and a darbuka player, all working the crowd. Every element pointed to somewhere different on the map.

The dancers were high-energy and precise, bringing afro dance to the center of the set. Afro dance has been pushing into mainstream culture for a while now. I’ve been taking Afro dance classes since January, so I was watching with a little extra appreciation. At one point, even the security guard was dancing! That tells you everything about the vibe.

For special guests, Francis brought out Haitian singer Rebecca Zama and the legendary Robin S, the woman behind “Show Me Love,” and the energy shifted completely. That song has been in clubs for over three decades, and it’s still one of the best dance songs ever! Her presence connected the roots of New York house music directly to the global sound Francis produces.

Francis proudly waved the Haitian flag throughout, alongside a few others, including Türkiye. The crowd was one of the most diverse I’ve seen at an electronic music concert in New York, and the energy felt less like a typical NYC night out and more like a party in Dubai or Ibiza. Cosmopolitan, completely unbothered by time.