Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s free outdoor production is a Boston summer institution, drawing tens of thousands to the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common each season. This staging pours Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy into a neon-lit festival world, with Puck and the fairies working the crowd like DJs remixing hearts — expect music, mischief, and lovers thoroughly scrambled in the dark.

No tickets, no reservations: just show up with a blanket or low chairs and claim your patch of grass, ideally well before showtime. Every performance is open-captioned, the Common is easy to reach by T, and the crowd — families, first dates, Shakespeare die-hards — is part of the show. One of the city’s great free traditions.