Jesse Malin and Rickie Lee Jones are King & Queen of 2026 Coney Island

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade has picked its royalty for the 44th annual edition of the beloved NYC tradition. Jesse Malin will be King and Rickie Lee Jones will be Queen when the parade happens on Saturday, June 20.

“The royalty for this year’s parade is a dream come true,” says Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s Artistic Director. “There’s no other working artist in New York at the moment that’s more deserving to lead this parade than Jesse. Not only is he a talented musician and an incredible songwriter, he’s given artists of all disciplines venues around the city in which to showcase their art.” Rinn adds, “Rickie Lee Jones, is one of the best singer-songwriters ever! Rickie has influenced a generation of artists with her beautiful voice and her genre-defying blend of rock, jazz and pop.”

The Mermaid Parade is the largest art parade in the US but has been struggling financially. This year they launched a GoFundMe campaign to help keep it afloat and are currently at 93% of their $45k goal.

Jesse Malin recently told us about his favorite American hardcore records and has extended the run of his Off Broadway show, Silver Manhattan, through May 10.

Check out photos from the 2025 Mermaid Parade: