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[title]Beloved summertime tradition Ravinia Festival returns to Highland Park this season with a jam-packed schedule of shows, featuring artists ranging from jazz and blues acts to classic rockers like Billy Idol and Deep Purple. Tickets are on sale now.
This year, Ravinia debuts the revamped, 2,850-seat Hunter Pavilion. And although there's plenty of seating, many people opt to bring lawn chairs, blankets and food and beverages for a picnic spread on the lawn instead.
Highlights for this season include a grand opening performance by Lizzo (July 11), Billy Idol (July 12), two nights of Paul Simon (July 17-18), Chance the Rapper (August 8) and Ricky Martin (August 20). Classical music lovers can catch a variety of performances from special guest conductors and soloists accompanied by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which takes up residence at Ravinia Festival every summer.
Take a look through the full Ravinia Festival lineup for 2026 below.
When is the Ravinia Festival?
Ravinia Festival 2026’s summer season runs from June 3 through September 23.
Where is the Ravinia Festival?
Ravinia takes place at Ravinia Park (418 Sheridan Road) in Highland Park, Illinois. The easiest way to make the trip from inside Chicago city limits is to take I-94 north and get off at the Lake Cook Road or Clavey Road exit, or ride Metra's Union Pacific North Line to the Ravinia Park stop, which drops passengers off directly in front of the venue's gates. All trains on the Union Pacific North Line will honor Ravinia tickets as train fares—patrons can show their dated concert tickets for a free train ride to and from the park on the day of the event.
How can I get tickets to the Ravinia Festival?
Go to the festival's official website to get tickets to each of the concerts listed below.
Can you bring alcohol into Ravinia Festival?
Guests are welcome to bring food, alcohol, chairs, tables and blankets for picnics on Ravinia's lawn. Food is not permitted in the pavilion, but drinks in 24-ounce (or smaller) paper or plastic containers are allowed.
Lineup and schedule:
June
June 3: Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane: Miles Davis & John Coltrane Centennials
June 4: Stella Cole Sings the Great American Songbook
June 5: Joshua Bell & Jeremy Denk: Schubert, Grieg & Ravel Sonatas, Plus Solo Works
June 6: Kurt Elling with Fred Hersch: Wildflowers
June 7: Alisa Weilerstein & Inon Barnatan: Rachmaninoff & Chopin Sonatas, Falla Suite & More
June 7: Kurt Elling with Fred Hersch: Wildflowers
June 10: Bridges: Fusing Jazz & Classical Music in Premieres of Prizewinning Works
June 17: Jazz Grandstand: Steans Institute Jazz Fellows Premiere All-New Quintets
July
July 1: Steans Institute Piano & Strings Master Class with Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
July 3: Steans Institute Piano & Strings
July 5: Steans Institute Piano & Strings Concert with Pre-Performance Talk by Midori
July 9: Steans Institute Piano & Strings Concert with Pre-Performance Talk by Midori
July 11: Hunter Pavilion Grand Opening: Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Featuring Yunchan Lim, Flute Arrangements with Lizzo, R. Strauss Suite & More
July 12: Steans Institute Piano & Strings "Vienna's Golden Century" with Clive Greensmith
July 12: Billy Idol
July 14: Squirrel Nut Zippers
July 15: Steans Institute Piano & Strings "Music for Love and Loss" with Carolin Widmann
July 15: Harry Connick Jr.
July 16: Steans Institute Piano & Strings
July 16: Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio
July 17: Steans Institute Piano & Strings Concert with Pre-Performance Talk by Midori
July 17: Paul Simon
July 18: Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio
July 18: Paul Simon
July 19: Steans Institute Piano & Strings
July 19: Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony, Violin Concerto Featuring María Dueñas
July 21: Steans Institute Piano & Strings Master Class with Violinist Augustin Hadelich
July 22: Augustin Hadelich: Baroque & Blues Solo Violin
July 23: Steans Institute Piano & Strings "Parisian Voices" with Benjamin Hochman
July 23: Mahler's Sixth Symphony
July 24: Steans Institute Piano & Strings
July 24: Breaking Barriers Festival
July 25: An Evening with St. Vincent and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
July 26: Chanticleer: Our American Journey
July 26: Emmylou Harris & Graham Nash
July 28: Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band with The Docksiders
July 29: The Kody Norris Show with Duke Tumatoe and Railheart
July 31: Dvořák's "New World" Symphony
August
August 1: Laurie Berkner
August 1: John Williams's Piano Concerto Featuring Emanuel Ax, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances
August 2: Black Moon Trio's "Lakenotes"
August 2: This Land: America in Song
August 4: Magic City Hippies
August 5: Steans Institute Singers Master Class with Kevin Murphy
August 5: Danish String Quartet
August 6: Steans Institute Singers
August 6: Sibelius's Violin Concerto Featuring Daniel Lozakovich
August 7: Stravinsky's The Firebird
August 8: Steans Institute Singers "America the Elusive"
August 8: Black Moon Trio's "The Great Lakes"
August 8: Chance the Rapper
August 9: Misha Dichter: 50th Season at Ravinia
August 9: Hugh Jackman in Concert with Chicago Philharmonic
August 11: Brian McKnight & Gladys Knight
August 12: Joe Bonamassa
August 13: Steans Institute Singers
August 13: The Music of Quincy Jones
August 14: Brahms X Radiohead
August 15: Steans Institute Singers
August 15: Okee Dokee Brothers
August 15: moe. and Umphrey's McGee
August 16: Frederica von Stade and Susan Graham
August 16: Tchaikovsky Spectacular
August 18: Steans Institute Singers Master Class with Frederica von Stade and Susan Graham
August 19: Gregory Alan Isakov with Chicago Philharmonic
August 20: Steans Institute Singers
August 20: Ricky Martin
August 21: Alabama Shakes with Liam Kazar
August 22: Steans Institute Singers: The Soul Within Us
August 22: Divi Roxx Kids
August 22: Bonnie Raitt with Charlieboy
August 23: Grease Sing-Along
August 25: Deep Purple with Kansas
August 26: Brandi Carlile with I'm With Her
August 27: Kool & The Gang with Morris Day and The Time and Con Funk Shun
August 28: Alabama
August 29: Dr. Seuss Goes to the Opera
August 29: Ray LaMontagne: Trouble 20th Anniversary with The Weather Station
August 30: Miranda Lambert
September
September 3: Music of the Baroque Orchestra & Chorus
September 5: Mayrig: Karen Ouzounian & Lembit Beecher
September 5: Rod Stewart with Richard Marx
September 6: Olga Kern
September 6: Squeeze with Adam Ant
September 12: Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas
September 13: 10th Annual Fiesta Ravinia: Los Tigres del Norte
September 17: Ziggy Marley and Thievery Corporation
September 18: Tom Jones
September 19: Martina McBride
September 23: Jacob Collier