17-Time Grammy Winner Alicia Keys Set to Close Out Knicks Championship Parade

For 53 years, Knicks fans waited for this moment.

Now, according to an exclusive report from Page Six, the celebration could end with the soundtrack many New Yorkers would have chosen themselves.

The outlet reported Wednesday that Alicia Keys is expected to close out Thursday's New York Knicks championship parade festivities at City Hall, where she is slated to perform "Empire State of Mind," the anthem she famously recorded with Jay-Z.

"The Knicks are bringing in the big guns!" a source told Page Six.

If the report proves accurate, one of the most recognizable songs ever written about New York City will help bring the curtain down on one of the biggest days in modern Knicks history.

The parade celebrates the franchise's first NBA championship since 1973, ending a drought that stretched across generations of fans and became one of the defining storylines in professional sports.

Why Alicia Keys Is the Perfect Choice for This Moment

Few artists are as closely tied to New York City as Alicia Keys.

Born and raised in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, the 17-time Grammy winner has spent much of her career serving as an unofficial ambassador for the city. Her music has become intertwined with New York's identity, and nowhere is that connection more obvious than "Empire State of Mind."

For years, the song has accompanied championship celebrations, playoff runs, and countless iconic moments across New York sports.

Now it may become part of Knicks history as well.

The timing also feels especially fitting because Keys has been celebrating alongside Knicks fans throughout the team's championship run.

Last weekend, she attended the Tribeca Festival premiere of her documentary "Girl From Hell's Kitchen." While she was unable to watch the championship-clinching game in person, she still found herself at the center of the celebration afterward.

According to previous Page Six reporting, Keys appeared at an afterparty wearing a Knicks jacket and performed "Empire State of Mind" alongside fellow New Yorker Nas.

The performance quickly became one of the more memorable celebrity moments following the Knicks' championship victory.

New York Is Preparing for a Historic Day

Thursday's parade is expected to begin near Battery Park before moving through the Canyon of Heroes and ending at City Hall.

The route will give fans their first chance to celebrate a Knicks championship team in more than half a century. For many supporters, it will be the first championship parade of their lifetime.

That reality has fueled an emotional response across the city since the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to secure the title.

Videos of fans celebrating flooded social media. Streets filled with chants. Landmarks across the city lit up in Knicks colors. And now, if Page Six's report is correct, the celebration may conclude with one final New York moment.

A hometown superstar. A championship-starved fan base. And the song that has become synonymous with the city itself.

After waiting 53 years for another title, Knicks fans may get the perfect ending.

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