Central Park is New York’s backyard.

So imagine the surprise thousands of people will get when they head to the park this weekend and find the Great Lawn — the heart of Central Park — closed for a private event.

That event is OZY Fest, a two-day festival of “live music, conversation, comedy and food” coming to the park Saturday and Sunday . Its organizers say they expect 40,000 people to descend on the Great Lawn on each day.

The event sounds like fun. The soccer star Megan Rapinoe will be there. So will big names like John Legend and Alex Rodriguez, Stacey Abrams and Trevor Noah.

Half of the tickets will be free, the festival’s organizers say. Those who want to snag a free ticket are asked to fill out an application and post about the event on social media platforms.