Ravinia Festival is gearing up for a big summer with the reveal of its 2026 season, and this one comes with more than a stacked lineup. The long-running outdoor music institution is turning the page with the opening of the redesigned Hunter Pavilion, a major piece of the ongoing evolution of Ravinia’s historic 36-acre park.
Running from June through September, the new season brings a deep bench of heavy hitters and first-timers to the stage. Paul Simon, Gladys Knight, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, and Jacob Collier lead the charge, while Hugh Jackman, Rod Stewart, Kool & The Gang, Chance the Rapper, Ricky Martin, Alabama Shakes, and Ray LaMontagne are set to make their Ravinia debuts.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra also returns for the 90th anniversary of its Ravinia residency, with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop leading six programs. Among the key dates: the July 11 grand reopening concert featuring Yunchan Lim on Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major and an appearance by Lizzo, plus the July 31 Midwest premiere of Carlos Simon’s Good News Mass.
Elsewhere, Klaus Mäkelä makes his Ravinia debut in August, and the season taps into the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with performances that spotlight American music in all its forms.
Tickets go on sale exclusively through Ravinia beginning April 23, with donor requests opening March 17.
Ravinia 2026 schedule
All performances take place in the Hunter Pavilion unless otherwise noted.
- MT = Martin Theatre
- BGH = Bennett Gordon Hall
- SKC = Sandra K. Crown Theater
- CSL = Carousel Stage
Artists making their Ravinia debut are marked with an asterisk (*).
Steans Institute alumni are marked with a hash (#).
Artists making their Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut are marked with a caret (^).
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- July 11: Yunchan Lim joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. Lizzo*^ performs on flute. The evening also spotlights Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play programs.
- July 16 and 18: James Conlon leads Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio starring Kathryn Lewek and Miles Mykkanen^. (MT)
- July 19: María Dueñas*^ joins Marin Alsop and the CSO for Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The program also includes Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony.
- July 23: Marin Alsop leads the CSO in Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.
- July 24: Marin Alsop and Laura Karpman co-curate a program on music in screen storytelling. The concert includes the premiere of Karpman’s Unsung. Chi-Yuan Lin*^ conducts selections from Star Wars by John Williams and Natalie Holt.
- July 25: St. Vincent^ joins the CSO in a limited run of orchestral performances conducted by Jules Buckley*^.
- July 31: Marin Alsop leads Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” and the Midwest premiere of Carlos Simon’s Good News Mass.
- Aug. 1: Emanuel Ax joins Marin Alsop and the orchestra for John Williams’s new concerto. The program also includes works by Rachmaninoff and John Adams.
- Aug. 2: Ted Sperling leads the CSO and vocalists Micaela Diamond*^, Bryonha Marie*^ and Noah Ricketts*^ in a program of American songs.
- Aug. 6: Klaus Mäkelä* leads the CSO with soloist Daniel Lozakovich* in Sibelius’s Violin Concerto and Strauss’s Alpine Symphony.
- Aug. 7: Mäkelä returns to conduct Stravinsky’s complete score for The Firebird, along with works by Debussy.
- Aug. 13: Jules Buckley leads the CSO in a tribute to Quincy Jones.
- Aug. 14: Steve Hackman*^ leads the CSO in a fusion of Brahms’s First Symphony and Radiohead’s OK Computer. Note: Radiohead does not perform.
- Aug. 16: Earl Lee#^ leads the CSO’s all-Tchaikovsky closing program. Stella Chen# performs the Violin Concerto.
Recitals, chamber music, and guest orchestras
- June 5: Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk# perform works by Schubert, Grieg and Ravel. (MT)
- June 7: Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan# perform works by Falla, Shostakovich, Chopin and Rachmaninoff. (MT)
- July 22: Augustin Hadelich# returns for a solo violin recital. (MT)
- July 26: Chanticleer performs a program tracing the musical heritage of the United States. (MT)
- Aug. 2: Black Moon Trio* premieres Lakenotes. (SKC)
- Aug. 5: Danish String Quartet performs works by Beethoven, Mozart and Shostakovich. (MT)
- Aug. 9: Misha Dichter marks his 50th season at Ravinia with a recital featuring Brahms, Prokofiev, Chopin and Beethoven. (BGH)
- Aug. 9: Hugh Jackman* performs with the Chicago Philharmonic.
- Aug. 16: Frederica von Stade and Susan Graham perform art songs with pianist Kevin Murphy. (BGH)
- Aug. 19: Gregory Alan Isakov* performs with the Chicago Philharmonic conducted by Christopher Dragon.
- Sept. 2: Labrinth* performs with the Chicago Philharmonic.
- Sept. 3: Music of the Baroque and Dame Jane Glover present works by Handel and Haydn featuring Steven Isserlis*.
- Sept. 5: Karen Ouzounian# presents Mayrig. (SKC)
- Sept. 6: Olga Kern performs works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Beethoven and Gershwin. (BGH)
- Sept. 23: Jacob Collier performs in Martin Theatre. (MT)
Family programming and film
- Aug. 1: Laurie Berkner
- Aug. 8: Black Moon Trio presents “The Great Lakes.” (SKC)
- Aug. 15: Okee Dokee Brothers (CSL)
- Aug. 22: Divi Roxx Kids (CSL)
- Aug. 23: Grease Sing-Along
- Aug. 29: JAM Orchestra* presents Dr. Seuss Goes to the Opera. (MT)
Jazz and blues
- June 3: Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane* (MT)
- June 4: Stella Cole* (BGH)
- June 6 and 7: Wildflowers: Kurt Elling with Fred Hersch (SKC)
- July 14: Squirrel Nut Zippers (CSL)
- July 15: Harry Connick Jr.
- Aug. 12: Joe Bonamassa*
Pop, hip-hop, rap, Latin, and reggae
- July 12: Billy Idol*
- July 28: Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band* with special guest The Docksiders*
- Aug. 4: Magic City Hippies* (CSL)
- Aug. 8: Chance the Rapper*
- Aug. 11: Brian McKnight and Gladys Knight
- Aug. 20: Ricky Martin*
- Aug. 27: Kool & The Gang* with special guests Morris Day & The Time* and ConFunkShun*
- Sept. 5: Rod Stewart* with special guest Richard Marx
- Sept. 13: 10th Fiesta Ravinia: Los Tigres del Norte
- Sept. 17: Ziggy Marley and Thievery Corporation*
- Sept. 18: Tom Jones
Rock, indie, country, and folk
- July 17 and 18: Paul Simon
- July 26: Emmylou Harris and Graham Nash
- July 29: The Kody Norris Show* (CSL)
- Aug. 15: moe. and Umphrey’s McGee on the moe.mentUM Tour
- Aug. 21: Alabama Shakes* with special guest Liam Kazar*
- Aug. 22: Bonnie Raitt
- Aug. 25: Deep Purple with special guest Kansas
- Aug. 26: Brandi Carlile with special guest I’m With Her
- Aug. 28: Alabama
- Aug. 29: Ray LaMontagne* on the Trouble 20th Anniversary Tour with special guest The Weather Station*
- Aug. 30: Miranda Lambert*
- Sept. 6: Squeeze with special guest Adam Ant*
- Sept. 12: Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas on the Arcadia Tour with special guest Theo Lawrence*
- Sept. 19: Martina McBride*
