A person briefed on plans for the show told the New York Times that Patti Smith is expected to join Springsteen for a duet.
de Blasio didn't give an updated date or location for the concert, but the Times reported in June that it was tentatively set for August 21 on Central Park's Great Lawn, and that most tickets would be free, with some VIP seating also available.
Clive Davis had been tapped to put the concert together, and he told the Times that they were looking to book eight "iconic" acts to perform to 60,000 attendees, and a television audience.
Springsteen has been involved with NYC's reopening already, having brought back his Broadway show for a limited run, the first Broadway production to open since the Great White Way went dark in March of 2020.
Simon, meanwhile, retired from touring in 2018 when he played a farewell show right where he grew up, in Queens, but he's done a few other live sets since then, including Outside Lands and Live from Here with Chris Thile at Town Hall, both in 2019.